572 PHYTOPHAGA. 



before me, there can be no question of sexual differences in regard to the structure of 

 the claws, &c. The genus will no doubt include some species at present referred to 

 IKabrotica and Cerotoma. 



1. Neobrotica variabilis. 



Flavous, the head, the intermediate joints of the antennae, and the breast black ; elytra very closely punctured, 



a subquadrate mark at the base, and a slightly curved transverse band below the middle black. 

 Var. The basal mark of the elytra separated into spots, the tibiae and tarsi flavous. 



Length 3 lines. 



Head black, impunctate ; the clypeus with an acute central ridge ; antennae half the length of the body, the 

 basal four and the terminal joints flavous, the other joints black or fuscous, the extreme apex of the last 

 joint black ; thorax one half broader than long, flavous, impunctate, deeply transversely sulcate ; scutellum 

 piceous or black ; elytra extremely closely and distinctly punctured, a subquadrate mark at the base (the 

 interior of which remains of the ground-colour) extending to near the middle, and a narrow transverse 

 band (in one specimen semilunate in shape) below the middle, black. 



Hab. Mexico, Jalapa (Hoge). 



N. variabilis resembles some species of Diabrotica (D. adelpha, D. annularis, &c). 

 In one specimen the posterior band of the elytra is thicker and of a semilunate shape, 

 in the other it is more transverse ; the first named has the anterior portion of the basal 

 mark broken up into three spots (two humeral and one scutellar), and its posterior 

 portion into four transversely placed spots (two on each elytron) ; other differences I 

 cannot find. 



2. Meobrotica ornata. 



Flavous, the head and the breast black ; thorax impunctate, deeply transversely sulcate ; elytra finely punctured, 

 a ring-shaped mark at the base, and another near the apex of each, dark blue. 



Var. The elytral markings connected at the sides ; the tibiae and tarsi fuscous. 



Length 2-3 lines. 



Head entirely black, or with the lower portion obscure fulvous ; antennae flavous, the intermediate joints 

 slightly darker, the third joint twice (in one specimen nearly three times) as long as the second ; thorax 

 deeply transversely sulcate, impunctate, flavous ; elytra finely but not very closely punctured, with slight 

 traces of longitudinal sulcations, each with a blue ring at the base, and another near the apex ; legs and 

 the underside flavous, the breast black; the anterior tibiae and the first joint of the anterior tarsi dilated 

 in the male. 



Eab. Mexico, Tuxtla, Teapa (Salle), Cordova, Tapachula in Chiapas (Hoge). 



N. ornata exactly resembles in the general colour and pattern of the elytra 

 Diabrotica biannularis and several allied species, from which the deep sinuate groove 

 of the thorax and the appendiculate claws distinguish it. The head is generally 

 piceous or black, but sometimes the vertex is of that colour only ; the antennae in 

 some specimens have the intermediate joints darkened, in others they are entirely 

 flavous. The elytra are very finely granulate (when seen under a strong lens), and the 

 second ring-shaped mark is sometimes open behind. In a single example from Teapa 

 the elytral blue rings are connected at the sides by a longitudinal stripe, and the tibiae 

 are piceous as well as the intermediate joints of the antennae; but as I am unable to 



