ee 
Boh., &c. 
PORPHYRASPIS.—TAUROMA. 131 
sharply raised. So far as it goes, the imperfect description of P. reticulata agrees 
very nearly with P. flexuosa; but there are discrepancies in several details. The very 
sharply raised carine form two zigzag series on the disc of each elytron, these being 
here and there connected with each other and with the suture before the middle by 
oblique rami. Our figure and description are taken from the Bugaba specimen. 
3. Porphyraspis marginata. (Tab. V. fig. 12.) 
Rotundate, short, very convex, pitchy-black, very shining, the margins of the prothorax and elytra, narrowly, 
the front of the head, the antenne, legs, and under surface, flavo- or rufo-testaceous. Head almost 
smooth, finely canaliculate in front; antenne short, only extending a little beyond the humeri, 
considerably thickened towards the tip. Prothorax short, broadly and deeply emarginate in front, and 
moderately dilated at the sides; the sides rounded, crenulate and somewhat obliquely converging 
anteriorly ; the anterior angles dentiform ; the disc convex, smooth behind, rather coarsely punctured in 
front; the lateral portions deeply excavate, and exceedingly coarsely punctured. Scutellum almost 
smooth. Elytra very much wider than the prothorax, short, rounded at the sides, widest at the middle, 
deeply emarginate in front, obtuse behind, the humeri prominent and somewhat dentiform; the disc 
gibbous, with irregular series of coarse, deep, partly confluent impressions, and a prominent, smooth, 
humeral callus, the suture sharply raised, a sharp carina extending obliquely outwards from it before the 
middle, this being connected anteriorly with a carina extending forwards to the base midway between 
the humeral callus and the suture, and posteriorly with a carina extending along the second interstice to 
the apex, the other interspaces irregularly transversely plicate; the margins moderately expanded, with 
series of very coarse punctures, the interspaces transversely plicate. Beneath shining, almost smooth. 
Length 33-33, breadth 3 millim. 
Hab. Guatemata, Panzos and Sabo in Vera Paz, Cerro Zunil (Champion), Coban 
(Conradt). 
Six examples. In having the prothorax and elytra margined with flavo-testaceous, 
this small species resembles P. rugosa, Boh., from Brazil; but it differs from that 
insect in the sculpture of the prothorax and elytra, and in its smaller size. The 
sculpture of the elytra somewhat resembles that of P. sanguinea (Fabr.), P. coccinea, 
TAUROMA. 
Tauroma, Hope, Ann. Nat. Hist. iii. p. 97, t. 4. fig. 4 (1839) ; Boheman, Monogr. Cassid. p. 113. 
Tauroma, subg. Omocera, Chapuis, Gen. Col. xi. p. 373. 
A Tropical-American genus containing numerous species, two only of which belong 
to the Central-American fauna. According to Chapuis’s arrangement, both these 
belong to his subgenus Omocera, Tauroma proper belonging to the South-American 
continent. 
1. Tauroma casta. (Tab. V. figg. 13, 14.) 
Tauroma casta, Boh. Monogr. Cassid. iv. p. 54°. 
Tauroma ceruleopunctata, Boh. loc. cit. p. 56’. 
Hab. Guatemata (Scherzer, in coll. Baly); Nicaracua (Sallé?), Chontales (Belt, 
