76 COLEOPTERA OF THE TRIBE CLERINI 



rather narrow, more or less lunate median fascia which it has 

 been my privilege to examine, the fascia is distinctly interrupted 

 at the suture, and these are referal^le to laetns and its variety (ih- 

 ru'ptus. In coccineus the medium fascia is very broad, occupjang 

 one-third or more of the length of the elytra and is distinctly 

 wider at the elytral margin and at the suture, where instead of 

 being interrupted it extends along the sutural bead for a short 

 distance toward the apex, and also extends along the suture from 

 the fascia usually (piite to the scutellum; the form is a trifle more 

 slender and the elytral sculpture finer than in laetus or abmptus. 



Mr. Schaeffer seems to have been influenced primarily l)y the 

 f:)ct that the two species in question, and also those mentioned 

 by him as veiy likely varieties, have at base an identical mac- 

 ulation. It would l^e entirely unsafe to assume that the presence 

 of these maculations tlenoted specific identity; as an illustration, 

 there are numerous species, mostly South and Central American, 

 possessing this basal fleck or spot, in which the type of elytral 

 pattern is so distinctive that even the most conservative of 

 students must regard them as specifically distinguishable. 



The writer believes that the species possessing this basal mac- 

 ulation, which is almost invariably a paler color than the surround- 

 ing color and usually more shining and smoother than the rest 

 of the surface, situated at the base of each elytron, and a little 

 closer to the scutellum than the humeri, form a natural group. 

 The origin of this maculation may l)e perhaps ti'aced to those 

 species having a ])asal striga, that is, a slightly elevated elongate 

 narrow whitish spot or line at liase, such as is seen in the Brazil- 

 ian scenicus Klug, from which we may pass to such types as 

 mysticus Klug, in which the basal half of elytra is yellow with 

 <lark mai'kings, leaving the location of the maculation (and more) 

 l)a,le. Thence we pass on to ruficoUis Castelnau, n which the 

 elytra ai-e dark at base with a pale marking stai-ting frt)m iho 

 position of 1lie usual maculation, running obliquely to near the 

 suture which it pai'allels to just in front of the middle, thence 

 tui-ning forward to the marginal flanks at a point just behind 1 he 

 humeri. By successive stei)s we then pi'occed through such 

 species as ariifcx Spinola, pulcheUus Klug, sohn'tius Castcltiau, 

 deUciolns CJoi-ham, jnisillus Klug, dislwcins Sinnola, bilohus 

 S])iiioIa., rcciinuiliis ( ioi'li.-ini, Jl<ir<).si(jn<itiis Sjjiiiola, and <itric('j)s 



