RUTELIN/E 41 



characters. Reasons are given for the omission of the Mexican 

 inconstans Burm., and flavilla Bates, said by Schaeffer to occur 

 within our boundaries, and I have seen nothing resembling poly- 

 chalca Bates, which is also included by the latter author. 



Spilota Burm. 

 Pcecilosticta Kr. 



While not differing at all profoundly from the ordinary types of 

 Anomala, it is, at any rate, very fortunate to have so valid an excuse 

 for the dismemberment of that overextended genus, as the con- 

 spicuous polished intermesocoxal prominence possessed by such 

 species as marginata and lucicola, and, as before remarked, I can 

 at present find no forms that are strictly intermediate between 

 those species and the cincta type of Anomala in that respect; 

 again, in addition to this, the basal bead of the pronotum is gen- 

 erally wanting, a character becoming taxonomically very important 

 among the true Rutelids. There is some diversity in the form of 

 the sternal prominence; usually it is a simple smooth anteriorly 

 protuberant tumidity, but in such species as chrysanthe and phos- 

 phora of Bates, it becomes anteriorly prolonged in a gradually 

 attenuated subporrect process. The meso-metasternal suture is 

 sometimes partially traceable. The organs of the mouth and the 

 general structure of the antennae and tarsi are not recognizably 

 different from the corresponding features in Anomala, so far as 

 can be observed. There are at hand four subgeneric groups as 

 follows : 



Basal bead of the pronotum completely obsolete as in Rutela and allied 

 genera 2 



Basal bead present in greater or less degree of development 3 



2 Hind tibiae surate; elytral striation deep and distinct; the pygidium 

 densely sculptured; body larger in size. North and South America. 



Group I 



Hind tibiae not or scarcely at all surate, parallel-sided; elytral striation 

 very feeble and unimpressed; body of small size. Neotropics. 



Group II 



3 Basal pronotal bead extremely fine and never entire; elytra with the 

 striation distinctly impressed, usually deeply so; pygidial sculpture 

 sparse and scratch-like; body of small size; male much smaller than 

 the female. Nearctic Group III 



Basal pronotal bead strong and entire; elytra without strongly impressed 

 striae but with series of irregularly spaced punctures; pygidial sculp- 



