14 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 290 



scutellar stria and will avoid the short series of punctures present in 

 some species behind the humerus. Also, in those species with more 

 or less confused rows of punctures at the side of each elytron (this 

 includes most of the species), there is a lesser tendency for confusion 

 of the rows behind the middle of the elytron, and the rows in this 

 region will often be easier to count. 



All intervals are named by the name or number of the stria immedi- 

 ately following it. Thus the scutellar interval is between the median 

 suture and the scutellar stria, and the first interval is between the 

 scutellar stria and the first stria, and so on. 



In the following text when the punctures are described as being 

 coarse, I mean that they are not sharply but broadly or irregularly 

 impressed and thus impart a rather coarse texture to the surface. Note 

 that the use of coarse does not refer to the size of the punctures; both 

 small and large punctures can be and often are coarse. Coarse punc- 

 tures disturb the surface reflection and alter the degree of smoothness 

 of the surface; punctures that are not coarse but are sharply impressed 

 do not or only slightly disturb the surface reflection or alter the degree 

 of smoothness. 



The pronotal and elytral drawings, and full-figure illustrations 

 (figs. 4-111) will be a great aid in arriving at a determination be- 

 cause many species can be recognized by the illustrations alone. 

 Elytral drawings of all species are presented except for pallidicinctus 

 and the new taxa herein described; full-figure illustrations are pro- 

 vided for the latter (figs. 94-111). Many species exhibit small to great 

 variation in color pattern. For the less variable species, I have illus- 

 trated the elytra of specimens that are about midway between the 

 extremes in pattern. For those species in which the color pattern is 

 quite variable or in which the sexes differ in color pattern, two elytral 

 draAvings are given. All the figures from 2 to 111 are drawn to the 

 same scale. The genitalia (figs. 112-140) are much magnified and are 

 aU drawn to the same scale. 



Numerous misspellings and incorrect citations of plant scientific 

 names were found on specimen labels. These misspellings and errors 

 are included in the data but are always in quotation marks to dis- 

 tinguish them from correct spellings and names. 



The follomng key has been constructed to cover as many variations 

 as feasible. Color-variable species frequently key out in two or three 

 places. Even with this, the extreme examples of some species will not 

 key properly; an attempt to provide for aU variable forms would so 

 complicate the key that it would impair rather than improve its 

 usefulness. 



