274 LITHONOMA. 



this is a short irregular depression, which form together with the 

 medial fovea two slight longitudinal ridges : the eyes are small, 

 situated at the hase of the head ; the surface of the head is coarsely 

 and thickly punctate. Thorax broad, transverse ; the anterior mar- 

 gin is slightly emarginate ; the sides are rounded in outline, and 

 distinctly marginate ; the anterior angles are slightly depressed ; the 

 surface is smooth, levigate, and thickly punctate ; at the anterior and 

 posterior margins is a transverse flavous marking, which does not 

 reach the lateral angles ; the margination also of the sides is flavous. 

 Seutellum triangular, impunctate. Elytra slightly broader than the 

 thorax, subparallel, depressed, covered throughout with distinct and 

 regularly distributed punctures ; near to the suture are two irre- 

 gularly shaped flavo-fulvous markings (the one, antcmedial, being 

 slightly the smaller of the two, and longitudinal or oblique in its di- 

 rection ; the other, postmedial, being somewhat larger, and circular or 

 obliquely transverse) ; the margination also of the elytra is distinctly 

 flavo-fulvous. Antennae filiform, robust, short, the length of each of 

 the joints from the fourth to the apex being hardly greater than its 

 breadth ; the colour is black. Legs robust, of a dark cyaneous colour 

 throughout, the tarsi being somewhat suffused with fuscous. 



"With regard to the synonymy of this species there appears to 

 have been considerable confusion. The insect itself is certainly well 

 known as not infrequent in Portugal and Spain ; and as certainly 

 the name of the insect is well known, being established by unques- 

 tioned authorities as " Lithonoma marginelld " of Fabricius and 

 Illigcr. The Stettin, Schaum's, and Marseul's Catalogues, as well as 

 Dej can's, each give it under the name imposed by Fabricius ; Marseul 

 (as also Foudras, in his ' History of Halticidae ') appends to the name 

 (as a synonym) " v. cincta, Oliv." And the fact that " cincta " of 

 Olivier belongs to this species is also unquestionable ; for the insect 

 represented by this name is described accurately enough by Olivier 

 in his ' Encyclopedic ' (vol. iv. p. 106, species 12), " Altise bordce. 

 Altica cincta, Fab. Chrysomela saltatoria, nigra, elytris viridi-ceneis, 

 margine punctisque duobus albis. Fab. Sp. Insect, i. 132. 90. EUe 

 se trouve en Portugal*." 



The species is also most clearly defined by Fabricius in his ' Man- 

 tissa Insectorum ' (1787), torn. i. p. 76 : — 



* I subjoin the detailed description from the ' Encyclopedic ' : — - 

 "Altica cincta, Fah. Cette Altise est uno des plus grandes. Sa tete est noire. 

 Le corcelet est d'ime couleur de bronze, un peu obscure, avec le bord anterieur 

 et posterieur blanc. Les etuis sont d'un verd euivreux ; ils ont deux points et 

 leursbords blancs. Le corps est fcres-noir. Les cuisscs postericures sont tres 

 renflees. Elle se trouve en Portugal." 



