STUDIES IN THE AMERICAN BUPRESTID^ 171 



impression along the middle near the base, the scutellum small, 

 slightly transverse, flat and rounded behind, the elytra cribrate and 

 with some fine and only slightly apparent, somewhat more convex 

 punctureless lines, the sides posteriorly serrulate, the tips not at all 

 prolonged, rather narrowly rounding to the suture and serrulate. 

 The legs are short and slender, the hind tarsi short, slender, with the 

 basal joint but slightly elongate and the first ventral suture is straight 

 and very fine, almost obliterated in the middle. 



It is of course within the most evident possibility, that in placing 

 Anataxis here, the genus may be unwarrantably removed from some 

 of the preceding genera, with which it may in reality and despite its 

 very different appearance be more closely related. This surmise 

 occurs on considering the actual outline of the compact outer antennal 

 joints, the latter having a feebly defined truncature of the lower 

 edge, which posteriorly thereto converges much more rapidly to the 

 base, in conjunction with the complex system of sensory fossse, which 

 might suggest that it be placed in closer proximity to Psiloptera. 

 In considering the figure of Anthaxia gigas, the type of Agcsocera 

 Wat., as given by Laporte and Gory, it is observed to differ in several 

 external characters, such as the four pronounced costae of each elytron, 

 the triple longitudinal impression of the pronotum and the apparent 

 absence of serrulation of the postero-lateral margins of the elytra. 

 Making due allowance for inaccuracy of drawing, it seems to me prob- 

 able that these marked external incongruities betoken other differ- 

 ences in the organs of the head and structure of the under surface, 

 which I am unable to express at present, but which may be even more 

 significant. The single species of Anataxis may be described as fol- 

 lows: — 



Body moderately slender, convex, rather shining, bright green in color 

 throughout, the under surface more polished and partially cuprascent, 

 glabrous; head rather finely, closely and evenly punctate, the eyes 

 well developed but not prominent, the antennae but little longer than 

 the head, black with feeble greenish lustre; prothorax two-thirds wider 

 than long, the sides broadly, evenly rounding and converging ante- 

 riorly, becoming very gradually parallel basally, the base broadly bisin- 

 uate, the apex very obsoletely bisinuately truncate; surface rather 

 finely but strongly, loosely punctate, gradually more coarsely, densely 

 so laterally, even, the feeble impression behind the centre ending, at 

 some distance before the middle of the base, in a small punctiform 

 fovea, the bottom of the impression finely striiform near the puncture; 



