NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 303 



indistinctly punctate on the disc, smoother at sides and apex, the punctures fine, 

 but intermixed. Abdomen piceous, indistiuctly punctate. Legs yellowish, the 

 posterior femora often fuscous. Length .08 inch. ; 2 mm. 



This species is so unlike the others in our fauna that I place it in 

 Phyllotreta with regret, but after repeated examination I see no 

 other course to pursue. It is true that viewed in certain light there 

 appears to be a vague ante-basal depression, but this is purely de- 

 ceptive. As the choice of position seems to be either here or in 

 Haltica, it is preferably placed here. It was placed by Crotch in 

 Aphthona, but the form of hind tibia is not as seen in that genus. 



Occurs in North Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Texas. 



APHTHONA Chev. 



Head inserted as far as the eyes, front carinate between the an- 

 tennae and with tubercles above it, clypeus broadly emarginate, 

 labrum arcuate in front. Maxillary palpi moderate in length, the 

 penultimate joint oval, truncate, the terminal joint more slender, 

 longer and acute at tip. Antenme slender, longer than half the 

 body, first joint stout, claviform, second elongate oval, third more 

 slender and a little longer, joints three to seven gradually longer, 

 eight to ten slightly shorter, eleventh longer than tenth, acute at tip. 

 Thorax slightly broader than long, apex truncate, base arcuate, scu- 

 tellum transversely oval. Elytra wider at base than the thorax. 

 Prosternum moderately separating the coxae, slightly broader behind 

 them, the cavities widely open behind. Ventral segments free. Legs 

 moderately long, tibiae with outer edge rounded, the posterior tibiae 

 depressed near apex, the lower edge at tip emarginate or bilobed, the 

 outer lobe terminated by a spur. Tarsi moderate, the first joint a 

 little shorter than the others together, the claws not appendiculate 

 at base. 



The essential character of this genus is in the structure of the 

 apex of the hind tibiae. The tip is said to be bilobed, i e., there is 

 a notch of the edge immediately in front of the tarsal insertion 

 which probably enables the tarsus to move more freely to the front, 

 while in Longitarsus the motion is confined entirely to a folding 

 backward against the posterior edge of the tibia. 



The species composing Ai)hthona, judging from the European 

 monographs, seem to be much less homogeneous in aspect than the 

 other genera of the tribe. With this fact known there seems to be 

 reason why the species known in our fauna should not be associated- 



