OF WASHINGTON, VOLUME XIX, 1917 21 



Eucactophagus graphipterus Champion 1910. 



As stated in a footnote to the description of this species, 

 Champion's third specimen was found in a greenhouse in Con- 

 necticut by Dr. Britton and is in our National Collection. I 

 have seen no other specimen but the type and paratype locali- 

 ties are Costa Rica and Colombia. The large yellow area of tin- 

 elytra covers the basal two-thirds and bears a round brown spot 

 al middle of suture which reaches the third stria, a pair of similar 

 spots just behind middle extending from fifth stria to margin 

 and a faintly rufous area at basal fourth between third and fourth 

 striae. The identification of the form treated by Weiss 101 7 as 

 this species was made by Mr. Schwarz about 1914, from a single 

 specimen which he then supposed was only a variant of </r<//>hi./>- 

 frrus but a series of specimens subsequently taken in the ?\Y\v 

 Jersey orchid houses and received from Mr. Weiss vary but little 

 among themselves and are conspicuously distinct from Cham- 

 pion's species. Since I have failed to find a description with 

 which it agrees it becomes necessary to propose a new name for 

 the species that has troubled the New Jersey orchid growers. 



Eucactophagus weissi n. sp. PI. 4, figs. 4, 4A, 4B. 



E. graphipterus Weiss 1916 (Journ. N. Y.Ent. Soc, xxiv, pp.93 

 and 147), 1917. (Ent. News, vol. 28, pi. 5, fig. 1) nee. Champion. 

 TypeCat. No. 21068, U. S. N. M. 



Very similar to graphipterus apparently differing from it only in the 

 elytral coloration, deeper elytral striae and in the pygidium being slightly 

 more strongly carinate with coarser punctures. The elytra are princi- 

 pally translucent yellow in color, the suture, base, and posthumeral third 

 of side margin narrowly margined with black, the black margin becoming 

 broad on the humerus and side margin behind the middle, and occupying 

 the apical fourth of the elytra. The striae are more deeply engraved 

 with larger and deeper punctures which show the black ground color 

 t lirough the yellow chiton; interstices more convex and clear yellow except 

 for rufous or piceous spots situated as follows: second interval with a 

 piceous area twice as long as wide at middle of length of elytra, third 

 and fifth interval with a similar spot at basal fourth which sometimes 

 merge into one but both are sometimes very pale, the fifth also has : \ 

 second black or brown spot just behind the middle. The yellow coloring 

 is produced a little further backward in intervals 2, 4 and 6. Length 

 13-17 mm., width 5.5-7.5 mm. 



Habitat unknown (probably tropical America). 



Described from five specimens 2 cf d", 3 99, taken in orchid 

 houses at Summit, N. J., by Mr. H. B. Weiss, the type dated 

 April 27, 1914, paratypcs in the collections of Mr. Weiss and 

 Mr. Chas. Leng. 



