68 
NORTH AMERICAN MALACHIIDAE 
regarded by him as a good generic character, but this gradually 
fails in the larger number of species now known. Throughout 
the genus there is a considerable degree of uniformity in many 
structural and color characters, which will accordingly receive 
scant attention in the short descriptions which follow. The mar- 
gins of the ventral segments, and also the median line anteriorly, 
is always membranous and pale in color; the color, as given in the 
descriptions, should be understood as applying only to the corne- 
ous portions of the abdomen. Length is measured from the 
anterior margin of the prothorax to the tips of the elytra. 
Table of Species 
Antennae more strongly serrate, the outer edge of the intermediate joints 
more or less sinuate in the male. 
Side margins of elytra pale throughout. 
Abdomen (9) red, last segment black, (cf) black; head extremely elon- 
gate angusticeps 
Abdomen red (except last segment) in both sexes; head somewhat less 
elongate. 
Prothorax entirely or in great part red, elytra red with black vitta, some- 
times interrupted at middle, sometimes broad, leaving the suture — 
except at base — ’tip and. side margins narrowly red; antennae longer 
and more strongly serrate abdominalis 
Prothorax black, elytra red with black scutellar spot; antennae shorter 
and less strongly serrate Ignitus 
Side margins of elytra not pale, the apical pale margin sometimes confined 
to the tip, sometimes extending forward along the suture. 
Elytra finely, not very sparsely punctate, surface rather dull; antennae 
slender, the joints more elongate than in any other known species. 
antennatus 
Elytra finely, very sparsely pimctate, strongly shining, antennae less 
slender longiceps 
Antennae less strongly serrate, the outer edge of the intermediate joints 
straight or virtually so. 
Front coxae spined in the male, abdomen yellow (cf) or black ( 9 ). spinifer 
Front coxae of male without spine. 
Head more or less conspicuously elongate, much narrower than the 
thorax; elytra black, the tips alone paler, the pale color not or but slightly 
extending forward along the suture. 
Head and prothorax more strongly elongate, the latter not distinctly 
wider than long (at least in the male), sides less rounded, entirely 
black termlnalis 
Head and prothorax less elongate, the latter with more strongly rounded 
sides, red with median black space dubitans 
Head not conspicuously elongate, elytra entirely blue or greenish, without 
pale tips. 
V entral segments entirely reddish yellow — at least in the male, mlmus 
