46 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 290 



Length: 4.5 to 6.0 mm. 



Type data. — This description is from three individuals, all taken 

 at "Searsville L.," California, in June 1927 by D. H. Blake and on 

 Baccharis pilularis DC. The locality refers to Searsville Lake in San 

 Mateo County. The male holotype bears type number 69251; it, the 

 allotype, and a female paratype are in the USNM collection. 



Discussion. — This subspecies differs from c. confluentus primarily 

 in coloration. In c. melanoscelus , the legs are predominantly brownish 

 or black, and the pronotum does not bear the reddish or black mark- 

 ings typical of c. confluentus. In c. conHuentus, the legs are yellowish 

 or reddish (sometimes with a little brownish evident), and the pro- 

 notum is generally reddish and often nearly black at the sides. The 

 male genitalia of c. melanoscelus are essentially identical to those of 

 c. confluentus. 



Cryptocephalus contextiis, new species 



Figure 102 



General: Body 1.8 times as long as wide; dorsal surfaces rather 

 shiny, elytra a little less shiny than pronotum; dorsum "without pu- 

 bescence, most of ventral surface with short, sparse pubescence. 



Head : Front and clypeus ivory yeUow, an inverted V from vertex 

 to antennal insertions, lateral margin of clypeus and labrum orange; 

 front and clypeus with rather small, sparse punctures ; clypeus broad, 

 apex somewhat wider than base. Antennae two-thirds length of body 

 in female, brown throughout. 



Pronotum : Orange with ivory yellow as follows (light markings not 

 sharply delimited) ; in two oblique basal spots; at lateral margin (this 

 narrower posteriorly, abruptly wider anteriorly) ; narrowly at anterior 

 margin. Orange areas speckled with minute darker spots, densest 

 laterally at base, nearly absent medially at base except on median 

 line, median line anteriorly without spots. Punctation dual, small 

 punctures minute, larger punctures quite small. 



Elytra: Background color ivory yellow, dark markings brown. 

 Dark markings of each elytron interconnected, confined largely to 

 area bounded by suture to sixth stria at side and from basal limit of 

 punctures to apical limit of third to sixth intervals; markings not 

 attaining base, lateral margin, or apex; with yellow at base near 

 scutellum, at middle of side, in a common spot on second and thu*d 

 intervals, and in apical spots on third, fourth, and fifth intervals. 

 Each elytron with seven rows of fine, rather dense punctures and a 

 series behind humerus, finer apically as usual; fifth row confused 

 before apex, sixth row irregular behind humerus; inner and outer rows 

 distinct at apex, more or less clearly meeting. 



