AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. . 85 



WOKIH I.I.1S | |;\ \ Costa. 



Scutelluoi rounded, triangular ; anal style long and slender ; hind 

 tibia with a subapical short transverse ridge, and from one to five 

 oblique ridges on the outer face ; hind tarsi with oblique ridges ; eyes 

 coarsely granulated ; antennae feebly serrate ; last joint of maxillary 

 palpi triangular. 



Containing the greatest number of species, and divided into readily 

 recognizable divisions according to the number of the tibial and tarsal 

 ridges. Generally there is very little variation in the species and they 

 appear to be remarkably local — some species being almost exclusively 

 found in one vicinity and appearing nowhere else within miles, even 

 though the same kinds of flowers may be equally abundant. Mountainous 

 country seems to be especially favored by these insects, for while I never 

 found more than half a dozen specimens in a single day on the flats 

 around New York, and never more than two or three specimens of 

 a species, a single days collecting in the Orange Mts. of -N. J., yielded 

 hundreds of specimens, and a gratifying number of species ; a cluster 

 of flowers usually containing several specimens of one species, and I can 

 not recollect that I ever found two species of Mordellhtena together 

 on the same cluster of flowers. Three weeks collecting in the Adiron- 

 dack's yielded thousands of specimens of the group Mordellidse : among 

 which were some new species, and some which were very rare ; in the 

 Catskill's also the species are plentiful, and in them as well as the 

 Adirondack's, Ripiphorus stylopides was common. For parts, see PI. II, 

 figs. 12—14. 



There appear to be no external sexual peculiarities. The species are 

 numerous on flowers and are frequently elegantly colored. 



I. — Hind tibia and first joint of hind tarsi each with a single short oblique ridge 

 near tip. 

 Narrow, parallel; black; elytra with two orange bands; first near base, and 

 interrupted by suture; second, one-fourth from tip; head, feet, (except 

 hind femora), antenme and anus testaceous; thorax sometimes black, 

 sometimes rufous. 2 — 2.5 mm.; Southern States 1. bicinctella. 



II. — Hind tibia with two oblique ridges on outer face. 



A. — Ridges converging above. 



First joint of tarsi with two, second with one oblique ridge. 



Slender cuneiform; uniform brownish-yellow. Ridges of hind tibia long; 



strongly marked. 3 mm.; Pennsylvania, New York 2. arida. 



Ridges less long, and less strongly marked. 3 mm.; Pa., Ga 3. lutea. 



B. — Ridges parallel, equal. 



First joint of tarsi with two, second with one oblique ridge. 



Elytra black, with two transverse yellow bands interrupted ;it suture: 

 body narrow, parallel. 



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