piibie luoeess of varying form, which is often kicking or concealed. 

 The inferior and superior plates are often fused together. Among 

 Porto Ric-an species tliis seems to be the case, and the pubic process is 

 risible only in species of the larger group {vandinei and portoricensis) . 



The following key will serve to separate readily the five Porto- 

 Rican Melolonthides: 



KEY TO PORTO RICAN MELrOLONTHIDES. 



A. Theca of male genitalia eyanthiforn, closed ventrally. PhiitaJus. 



B. Theca of male genitalia collar-shaped, open ventrally. PhyJIo phage. 



u. Adnate armatures distinct and chitinous; spiciila medial; female geni- 

 talia with prominent pubic process. (Group of larger species.) 

 I. Armatures bicuspidate at tip; spicula sharply deflexed. P. van- 

 dinei. 

 II. Armatures sj^atulate at tip; spicula roundly deflexed. P. por~ 

 toricensis. 

 1). Adnate armatures fused into a single spatha; spicula dextral: female- 

 genitalia without pubic jirocess. (Group of .smaller species.) 

 III. Spatha fleshy, surmounted by minute prostrate spinules. P. gua- 

 nicana. 

 IV. Spatha cymbiform, cliitinous and polished above. P. cifri. 



Phyllophaga vandinei n. sp.^ 



This species has been named for Mr. D. L. Van Dine, the first 

 entomologist of the Experiment Station of the Porto Rico Sugar 

 GroAvers' Association, who, by reason of his characteristic zeal and 

 energy, was largely responsible for the extensive importations of 

 white-grub parasites and for instigating the work carried on with 

 the sugar-cane white-grubs of the Island in the past tive years. 



The larva of this species is the worst sugar-cane pest of the Island, 

 and is perhaps one of the three most injurious sugar-cane white- 

 grubs in the world. Its habitat on the Island is restrieted to the 

 western end, its farthest east recorded occurrence being at Manati 

 on the north coast and at Peiiuelas on the south. Within this limited 

 territory it has reached, particularly in the Guanica district, such 

 great abundance as to often have caused whole fields of cane to fall 

 prone and to ])egin to sour in a week's time after damage first be- 

 came evident. It has made the growing of ratoon cane in the Guanica 

 and San German districts impossible, and in addition to the cost of 

 replanting for each crop, has levied a tax upon the centrals for 

 the continued hiring of boys to collect tlie grubs and beetles that 

 amounts to hundreds of dollars in a single season. 



1 Technical description of this and the other species will Ix- i)u)ilished later. 



6S 



