616 PHYTOPHAGA. 



thorax, unarmed tibiae, &c, this species approaches Elyces. The elytra have often two 

 spots instead of the band at the base, and their lateral margin is black only from the 

 posterior band to the apex. 



b. Anterior coxal cavities closed. 



Tibiae mucronatei 



CEROTOMA. 



Cerotoma, Chevrolat in d'Orbigny's Diet. univ. Hist. Nat. iii. p. 342 (1843) ; Erichson, Archiv fur 

 Naturg. 1847, i. p. 169; Leconte, Proc. Acad. Phil. xvii. p. 205 (1865); Suffrian, Archiv fur 

 Naturg. 1867, i. p. 317. 



Andrector, Horn, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. iv. p. 152 (1872) ; Class. Col. N. Amer. p. 348 (1883). 



Cerotoma at first sight closely resembles certain species of Diabrotica ; the closed 

 anterior coxal cavities and the appendiculate (not bifid) claws will, however, at once 

 distinguish it from that genus. The males of nearly all the known species are further 

 distinguished by the abnormal shape of the third joint of the antenna?; this joint is 

 always the longest in both sexes. Cerotoma is confined entirely to the New World, but 

 the species are not very numerous ; several with open coxal cavities have been included 

 in it by various authors, these species, however, cannot be retained in the genus ; on 

 the other hand, Cerotoma has been enlarged by a few species which have been erroneously 

 referred to Diabrotica. 



Four species inhabit our region, one of which appears to be very widely distributed 

 in Tropical America. 



1. Cerotoma ruficornis. 



Galeruca ruficornis, Oliv. Encycl. Method, vi. p. 200 (1791) 1 . 



Cerotoma ruficornis, "Weise, Archiv fur Naturg. 1885, i. p. 157, t. 8. f. 6 2 . 



Galeruca denticornis, Oliv. Ent. vi. p. 659, t. 5. f. 78 3 . 



Crioceris denticornis, Fabr. Ent. Syst. i. 2, p. 24 (1792) ; Syst. Eleuth. i. p. 457*. 



Cerotoma denticornis, Jacq.-Duval in Sagra's Hist, fisica polit. y nat. de Cuba, vii. Ins. p. 126, t. 2. 



f. 8 5 ; Suffrian, Archiv fur Naturg. 1867, i. p. 317 e . 

 Cerotoma atro-fasciata, Jac. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 792 \ 



Hab. Mexico, Presidio, Ven tanas (Forrer), Lagos in Aguas Calientes, Colima city, 

 Zapotlan, Cuernavaca, Jalapa, Chilpancingo, Acapulco (Hoge), Vera Cruz, Orizaba, 

 Guanajuato, Oaxaca, San Andres Tuxtla (Salle); Beitish Honduras, Belize (Blan- 

 caneaux); Guatemala (Salvin 1 , Salle), Rio Naranjo, Capetillo, Duenas, San Geronimo, 

 El Jicaro, San Joaquin, Sinanja, Chacoj, Cahabon (Champion); Salvador, La Union 

 (Champion) ; Nicaragua, Chontales (Janson). — Venezuela 3 4 ; Antilles, Cuba 5 6 , Porto 

 Rico 2 , Guadaloupe l . 



An abundant insect in our region, though apparently not yet received from the State 



