II. ('. FALL. 



169 



These gradations well illustrate the difficulties attending any attempt 

 to establish groups of full generic value. 



The following table contains all the species of the genus that 1 

 am able to define : 



Antennal club 2-jointed ; first and second joints of tarsi subequal. 



Subgenus Cortilena. 



Form narrower, parallel, head subequal in width to the prothorax; punctures 



of elytral striae coarse, but shallow and somewhat vague, those of the 



interspaces scarcely visibly ; color pale testaceous, the scutellum and 



also a median and subapical spot on each elytron black or blackish. 



chamseropis. 



Form stouter and less parallel ; head evidently narrower than the prothorax : 

 punctures of elytral strife fine, those of the intervals smaller but 

 distinct. 

 Color flavo- to rufotestaceous ; elytra with a transverse median fascia, and 

 often a basal and apical cloud piceous; varies with the dark markings 

 almost entirely lacking, or they may become suffused, leaving only 



two paler spots on each elytron pi eta. 



Color pale yellowish testaceous throughout; the prothorax shorter than in 



picta casta. 



Color ferruginous or rufotestaceous, the elytra darker, usually fuscous or 



brownish in mature specimens; form more elongate simplex. 



Antennal club 3-jointed. 



Second joint of tarsi as long as or slightly longer than the first: apex of front 

 tibia- in the ^ provided with a longer, denser and more bristling 



fringe of hairs Subgenus JVIelaiiioplitlialma. 



Claw joint of anterior tarsi toothed beneath in the % . Apices of elytra not 

 sinuate or serrulate before the sutural angles, which are not at all 

 produced. 

 Eyes smaller, separated on the front by about twice their longest diameter ; 



tempora nearly one-third the length of the eye insulai'i*. 



Eyes much larger, separated on the front by less than one and one-half 

 times their diameter, tempora scarcely ever exceeding one-sixth the 

 length of the eye. 

 Elytra more oval, punctuation stronger, pubescence longer and less in- 

 clined, color variable, but with the elytra nearly always darker than 



the prothorax distiugueiida. 



Elytra more paralled and relatively narrower as compared with the pro- 

 thorax ; punctuation sparser, pubescence shorter and more inclined ; 



color uniformly pale rufotestaceous florida na . 



Claw joint of anterior tarsi not toothed beneath in the % . 



Prosternum tumid before the coxre, not armed with a spine at the tip iu 



the % puniila. 



Prosternum not tumid before the coxae, and bearing at the middle of the 

 posterior margin an erect acute spine in the % ; color always pale yel- 

 lowish testaceous, size small aculifera. 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC. XXVI. (22; DECEMBER, 1S09. 



