CRYPTOCEPHALUS. .. ~ 103 
-.It.seems to me almost impossible to refer with certainty several species with nearly 
similar and equally variable elytral pattern to either of those described by Suffrian, 
notwithstanding the large amount of material now available for examination. The 
descriptions of C. plagiatus, C. patheticus, and C. rhombeus, Suffr., agree only partially 
with some of the Central-American specimens; and, if the necessary allowance is 
made for variation, our examples might equally well be referred to either of them. In 
C. plagiatus, for example, to which I refer the specimens from the above-mentioned 
localities, the thorax is described as black, with yellow interrupted anterior and 
lateral margins, and two similarly-coloured basal spots. -In our specimens, however, 
the anterior margin of the thorax is entirely yellow and not interrupted ; and the 
elytra, instead of having eight, have only seven yellow spots (the small basal spot on 
the lateral margin being connected with the large one below it), and the spot near the 
scutellum (which is described as being the largest of the three) is in several examples 
the smallest. As our insect agrees in its other characters with Suffrian’s description, 
I prefer to point out these differences, and to look upon them as varietal rather than 
specific. 
10 (a). Cryptocephalus godmani. 
Black ; the head, the anterior and lateral margins of the thorax, as well as two spots at the base of the 
-latter, yellow ; elytra black, each with seven or eight more or less interrupted yellow spots, deeply punctate- 
striate, the punctures interrupted laterally ; legs spotted with black and yellow. 
Length 13 -14 i lines. 
Head bright yellow, with a central longitudinal and sparingly punctured black stripe, the rest of the surface 
impunctate ; labrum and mandibles obscure piceous ; antenne as long as the body, black, the lower five 
joints fulvous ; thorax more than twice as broad as long, the sides nearly straight, and narrowed in front 
the surface entirely impunctate, black, the anterior margin narrowly, the anterior and posterior angles 
broadly, a central short stripe anteriorly, and two oblique spots at the base (sometimes preceded by 
two other small yellow spots), yellow; scutellum black; elytra cylindrical, strongly punctate-striate, the 
fifth to the eighth rows interrupted anteriorly and posteriorly by several transverse smooth and raised 
spaces, an elongate spot near the scutellum, an angular narrow stripe at the middle of the base, the lateral 
margin to the middle, the raised transverse spaces, and three spots placed triangularly (the two upper 
ones each consisting of three e'ongate short stripes, separated by the black punctures, and the hinder one 
transversely shaped and composed of two markings) near the apex, bright yellow; below black, the 
anterior coxw, the prosternum, and a quadrate spot at the base of the first ventral segment, yellow ; legs 
dark fulvous, the apex of the femora with a yellow spot margined with black ; pygidium black, with two 
yellow spots. 
Hab. Muxico, Omilteme and “Chilpancingo j in Guerrero (fH. H. Smith). 
- C. godmani is no doubt somewhat closely allied to C. plagiatus, Suffr., but shows, I 
think, sufficient differences to be considered distinct. The black disc of the thorax is 
divided anteriorly by a narrow yellow stripe, which is connected with the similarly- 
coloured anterior margin. ‘The elytra are more deeply punctured, and the rows at the 
sides are interrupted by three, partly united, trausverse raised spaces, which form the 
largest of the yellow spots; these latter are also differently shaped to those of 
C. plagiatus ; and the lateral margin is yellow from the base to the middle. The 
