190 COCCINELLLim 



11. Brachyacantha cachensis. 



Pallide albido-testacea, nitida, corpore subtus piceo ; prothorace maculis tribus cuneiformibus oonjunctis, una 



mediana, duabus basalibus, elytris sutura maculisque duabus in singulis, nigris. Long. 4 millim. S • 

 Mas segmentis ventralibus medio late impressis. 



Had. Costa Rica, Cache (Bogers). 



At first sight resembling B. lepida, but to be immediately distinguished from it or 

 from any other Brachyacantha known to me by the marking of the prothorax, which is 

 like a broad-arrow ^, with the barbs lying on the V-shaped base. The suture has not 

 a distinct spot (as it has in B. lepida), but is more widely pitchy-black immediately 

 below the scutellum than at the apex. The legs are entirely pale testaceous. 



The male character of an impressed fossa along the middle of the abdomen is very 

 distinct, but its sides are apparently not tubercular. 



A single specimen, in rather bad condition. 



12. Brachyacantha fenestrate 



Breviter ovata, nigro-pieea, nitida ; capite, prothoracis lateribus late, et maculis duabus discoidalibus, elytrorum 



maculis quinque pedibusque, flavis. Long. 3-25 millim. 

 Mas capite et prothoracis margine antico albido-flavis, abdomine medio fossulato. 



Hab. Mexico, Teapa in Tabasco (H. H. Smith) ; Costa Rica, Cache (Bogers) ; Panama, 

 Volcan de Chiriqui, Bugaba (Champion). 



This species is one of a series which, with some Hyperaspides, have the elytra 

 marked almost exactly alike, viz. with five yellow spots on each, as in B. decempustulata. 

 B. fenestrata may, however, be easily recognized by the thorax having two pale oval 

 spots near the middle of the base, almost but not quite touching it. Of the two 

 discoidal elytral spots, the posterior one seems always to be a little smaller than the 

 basal one ; of the three marginal ones, the humeral spot is small, occupying the angle, 

 the middle one is just between the two discoidal spots, and the apical one is more 

 oblong than in most of its allies. These markings are also very pale yellow, almost 

 white in some male examples. 



The fossa on the abdomen of the males is very distinct, and the middle of the 

 metasternum is also impressed ; the margins of the segments are raised in the middle 

 and at the sides of the fossa almost tuberculate. This structure is common to the 

 Brachydcanthce that have the abdomen impressed, but seems to vary in degree. 



The female has the head yellow, but the front of the thorax is pitchy-black. 



A very extensive series of specimens were obtained by Mr. Champion, but I have 

 only seen one from Costa Rica. 



The specimens from Teapa diverge a little from the type in having the dark mark 

 on the thorax divided by a wedge-shaped spot in front, so as to resemble the letter M 

 more than in the Panama specimens. 



