NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 221 



It is difficult to place this species in any tabular arrangement. 

 The legs being in great part pale it might be associated with poUta 

 et al., Init the short, robust form and the deep and entire ante-basal 

 impression indicate its relationship with ignita and chalybea. It is 

 the smallest species in our fauna, smaller than many Phyllotreta. 

 It was described as a CJrepidodera by Crotch, but the open anterior 

 coxal cavities forbid such a reference. Later on we supposed it 

 related to Cteporis, but the absence of tibial spurs to the front and 

 middle legs forbids this reference. It is evidently merely a small 

 Haltica. 



Occurs from South Carolina to Florida. 



4. H. ignita IHig. — Oval, slightly oblong, subdepressed, surface shining, 

 variable in color from a coppery golden lustre through greenish to blue. An- 

 tennae half as long as the body, piceous, joints 2-3-4 gradually longer. Head 

 smooth, an arcuate depression within each eye, frontal carina acute, tubercles 

 distinct, but small. Thorax one-half wider than long, very little narrowed in 

 front, sides feebly arcuate, disc convex, the ante-basal impression deep, extending 

 entirely across the thorax from side to side, surface very minutely sparsely 

 punctate. Elytra distinctly wider at base than the thorax, humeri prominent, 

 b\it obtuse, urabone also moderately prominent, smooth, distinctly limited within 

 by a depression, surface distinctly sparsely punctate near the base, gradually 

 smoother to apex. Body beneath and legs colored as above ; abdomen alutace- 

 Dus, sparsely punctate. Lenyth .12 — .16 inch. ; 3 — 4 mm. 



In the males the last ventral segment is sinuate each side, the 

 middle forming a shoit semi-circular lobe, which is flat, with the 

 extreme edge often slightly reflexed. 



The variations in color in this species are very striking. As a 

 general rule the more northern habitats — Hudson's Bay to Penn- 

 sylvania — furnish the more brilliant golden specimens, the further 

 south these become rarer, and the green, and finally the deep blue, 

 become the characteristic colors in the Gulf States. 



As a general rule the northern specimens are larger than the 

 southern. The ante-basal groove varies in depth, although in the 

 great majority it is deep and entire ; the sculpture of the elytra also 

 varies in distinctness. 



A form has been collected at Crescent City, Florida, in which the 

 general color is brownish with scarcely any trace of metallic lustre 

 and with the antennae and legs of correspondingly pale color; the 

 sculpture is generally fainter than in the northern forms, yet pre- 

 serving the intermixed character which seems peculiar to the species. 



