105 



HARRIS TO HENTZ. 



Cambridge, Nov. 6, 1839. 



A species of Oicindela has lately been sent to me from Ohio, 

 which at first I supposed to be your splendida. It turns out, 

 however, to be distinct, and is the limhalis of King, (Jahr- 

 biicher, Bd. i, p. 29). It is still more closely allied to lyurpu- 

 rea than is your splendida. The following description will ena- 

 ble you to recognize limhalis, if it should occur in your vicinity. 



C. limhalis Klug. Above, crimson, the thorax and elytra 

 margined with green, a humeral and post-humeral white dot, 

 widely interrupted terminal white lunule, and an intermediate 

 abbreviated sinuous white band on each elytron. Labrum 

 white, and three-toothed on the edge. Head and thorax crim- 

 son, the latter with a broad anterior and posterior margin, and 

 the narrow lateral edge green. Elytra crimson, with the nar- 

 row su^tural edge and broad entire outer margin green ; a 

 white dot on the humei-al angle, and another just behind it 

 near the outer margin, both sometimes obsolete ; a transverse 

 white dash on the tip, with a small dot just before it, near the 

 outer margin, and an intermediate flexuous white band, which 

 does not attain the outer margin nor the suture. 



Variety. The humeral and post-humeral dots more or less 

 obsolete, and the intermediate band reduced to a submarginal, 

 abbreviated, transverse, white dash. 



Observation. This species differs from purpurea in the form 

 of the intermediate elytral band, in having the outer green 

 margin entire, and not sinuated within, and in wanting the cop- 

 pery crimson outer edge of the elytra, etc. From S2>lendida 

 it differs in having the head and the disk of the thorax crimson, 

 the humerus more rectangular, and the coleoptra rather longer, 

 and not so sensibly dilated in the middle, etc. The inter- 

 mediate band in limhalis is nearly of the same form as in 

 ptatruela ; but I have not seen it so in any specimen of splen- 

 dida, in which, on the contrary, the intermediate band is an 



