Materials, Theie Taxonomy and Natural History 45 



tiim, la2ve. Elytra flavescentia, lateribus parallelis, minus regulariter seriatim 

 vel subacervato-seriatim distincte punctata, linea suturali basin versus latiore 

 nee non vittis interstitia alterna occupantibus, nigris, vitta interstitii decimi 

 medio et ante medium a margine paullo remota, interstitio none reliquis fere 

 duplo latiore, medio vage, remote et distincte punctato; margine infiexo pos- 

 terius nigro. Pectus maculis nonnullis plus minus distinctis flavo-testaeeis. 

 Segmenta ventris apice plus minus late flavo-limbata." 



Habitudinal vabiety multit^niata-multit^niata Stal. 

 (Plate 4, fig. 1.) 



I have reserved this name for that portion of the entire species which is 

 limited to the southern end of the Mexican Plateau and which agrees with Stal's 

 descriptions, and is also the form described and recognized by Jacoby, 1883-1891, 

 in the Biologisches Centrallblatt under this name. 



Imago: Oval, convex, robust in form. Above: Head and pronotum light 

 tan, often with tinge of red marked with black color-pattern. Epicranium and 

 pronotum punctate, especially on lateral and posterior portions, with irregularly 

 arranged variable punctures. Elytra pale yellow white or yellowish, rarely 

 reddish yellow, marked with five longitudinal black stripes, which are edged by 

 an irregular double row of impressed punctations, variable in size. Costal edge 

 inflexed, dark brown or black, slightly grooved and finely punctate, sparingly 

 or smooth. Second and third elytral stripes often united posteriorly, and may 

 also be united to fourth stripe. Eyes black, epicranium with anterior lateral 

 epicranial spots fused and reaching to anterior border and to fused posterior 



am 

 lateral epicranial spots posteriorly. On pronotum a' + 1)' -\- -\- +a^-h usually 



pm 

 fused to form broadly open V-shaped spot, c usually free, and d' e' f and d e f 

 group variable, usually united, and often forming extensive fusions with other 

 parts of pattern. Below : Uniform light tan-color or brownish yellow marked 

 with black, variable from all color-centers distinct to completely black. Legs : 

 Femora dark brown or black, tibia, ends always black, central portions brown 

 or black, sometimes reddish brown, variable. Entire ventral surface and legs 

 punctate, irregular, variable, slightly pubescent. 



Size: Variable, depending upon food and climatic conditions. Females 

 always larger than males. Female, 7 to 13 mm. long, 6 to 9 mm. broad ; male, 

 6 to 12 mm. long, 5 to 8 mm. broad. 



Sexes: Female with ventral sclerite of last abdominal segment rounded flat; 

 male with same sclerite truncate, slightly grooved; female also more robust and 

 broadened posteriorly than male. 



Food: Feeds exclusively in nature upon Solarium rostratum Dun., or close 

 Mexican allies thereof, on S. elceagnifolium, and more rarely upon S. tubero- 

 sum, and very rarely upon other SolanaceiB. S. rostratum is its food. In 

 captivity, when deprived of other food, will eat S. diversifolium, lanceolatum, 

 and Jiertwigi. 



Juvenile Stages. 



(Tower, 1906, plate 17, figs. 10, 11, 12.) 



Eggs: Bright yellow, sometimes pale yellow, laid upon the lower surface of 

 the leaves, in bunches of from 5 or 6 to 200, and cemented to the leaf by a 

 coagulated gelatinous cement; oval, flattened and concave ventrally, smooth, 

 polished. Length, 2.5 to 3.25 mm.; breadth, 1.3 to 1.9 mm.; incubation, 5 to 

 10 days, depending upon temperature and moisture conditions. 



