48 PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OP 



serrate. The last joint of the maxillary palpi is scalene triangular in form, 

 and in the male of G. sericans is covered on the under surface with a 

 dense brush of fine short hair ; in the same sex there is at the base of the 

 last joint an external articulated bifurcated appendage, the branches of which 

 are as long as the joint ; no vestige of this is seen in the female ; the last 

 joint of the labial palpi of both sexes of G. sericans is triangular and 

 broadly emarginate at tip , in G. helva the same joint is bell-shaped and 

 truncate at tip. 



A. Labial palpi with the last joint emarginate. 

 Cuneiform elongate, fuscous, densely clothed with sericeous brown pubes- 

 cence, -30. Middle, Southern and Western States. (^ as above described.) 

 Mordella sericans Mels. ...... 1. s er ic an s (Lee.) 



B. Labial palpi with the last joint truncate. 

 Almost linear, fuscous, densely clothed with sericeous brown pubescence, 

 18. Georgia. 2. helva. 



MOKDELLISTENA Costa. 



Scutellum rounded triangular ; anal style long and slender ; hind tibia? 

 with a subapical, short, transverse ridge, and from one to five oblique ridges 

 on the outer face ; hind tarsi with several oblique ridges. Eyes coarsely 

 granulated ; antennae feebly serrate ; last joint of maxillary palpi triangular. 



The numerous species of this genus are small, frequently elegantly colored 

 insects living upon flowers ; they are either linear or slightly cuneiform. 

 Divisions are easily formed by regarding the ridges of the hind tibiae and 

 tarsi, which scarcely vary in the same species. Species of similar color, e. g. 

 M. lute a, vapid a, tost a, ustulata, nubila and ambusta, 

 which are all of a yellowish brown color, are easily distinguished by reference 

 to the hind tibiae and tarsi. When the previously described species have 

 been referred to Mordella, I have placed the authority in parenthesis, to save 

 the space of a double reference. 



A. Hind tibiae and first joint of hind tarsi each with a single short oblique 



ridge near the tip : 



Body narrow, parallel ; black, elytra with two orange bands, the first near 

 the base and interrupted by the suture, the second one- fourth from the tip ; 

 head antenna?, feet (except the hind femora) and anus reddish testaceous, *09. 

 Southern States ; thorax sometimes black, sometimes rufous. 



1. bicinctella. 

 B. Hind tibiae with two oblique ridges on the outer face. 



a. Ridges converging above ; first joint of tarsi with two, second with one 

 oblique ridge ; body slender, slightly cuneiform, uniform brownish yellow : 



Ridges of hind tibiae long, very strongly marked, -13. Pennsylvania. 



2. a r i d a. 

 << " shorter, less strongly marked, 'II -13. Pa., Ga. 



3. lutea (Mels.) 



b. Ridges parallel, equal : 



a. First joint of hind tarsi with two, second with one oblique ridge : 



Elytra black, with two transverse yellow bands, the anterior one interrupted 

 at the suture and thus composed of two triangular spots, the apices being 

 towards the base ; body narrow, nearly parallel ; 



body black, head rufous, thorax black, basal margin and sides dark yellow, 

 feet and abdomen tinged with testaceous, '09 *11. Middle, Western and 

 Southern States 4. t r i f as c i a t a (Say.) 



body yellow, thorax yellow, abdomen and hind tibiae and tarsi varied with 



black "11. Middle and Southern States. . . . 5. lepidula. 



[Feb. 



