io6 Records of the Indian Museum. [ Voi,. IX , 



prothorax. Another form of elytral colouring may be differentiat- 

 ed in which there is a predominance of the bronze over the green. 

 It may be noted that the four specimens from Poona in the 

 collection have this shade. 



Genus Epistictia, Boh, 



The genus Epistictia was erected by Boheman in 1850 for the 

 reception of three species, viz., selecta, Boh., viridimaculata , Boh., 

 and matronula, Boh. The first two were from Nepal and the third 

 from Ceylon. In 1863 (Journ. of Ent., ii, pp. 7, 8) Baly described 

 two species, viz., perplexa, Baly, and parryi, Baly, also from the Ori- 

 ental region. These two, however, were sunk by Weise into varie- 

 ties of viridimaculaia , Boh. (Deutsch. Ent. Zeitschr., 1897, P- 99)- 

 T, Kirsch published a description of a new species closely allied to 

 viridimaculata, Boh., which he named marginata, from Malacca 

 (Mitt. Mus. Dresd., i, p. 56, 1875). Outside the Oriental region a 

 species was discovered in East Africa which lyinell named quadri- 

 Punctata (Proc. U.S. Mus., xviii, p. 696, 1896). I have seen two 

 specimens in the collection of the British Museum (Natural His- 

 tory) named inornata by Waterhouse collected from Lake Nyassa 

 (Cist. Ent., ii, p. 229). Altogether, therefore, there are only 

 six species belonging to this genus hitherto known excluding the 

 two species described by Baly and subsequently sunk by Weise. 



Antenna gradually thickens towards the apex, first joint 

 longer than the second ; the second j oint rounded ; last j oint bluntly 

 pointed. 



Prothorax slightly narrower than elytra, widely emarginate 

 at apex, lateral margins slightly reflexed, base bisinuate on both 

 sides, posterior angles acute. 



Scutelluiii shorter than its breadth, apex rounded. 



Elytra punctate. 



Underside. — First abdominal segment produced in the middle 

 into a pointed process which meets the metasternum between the 

 hind coxae. Prosternal process expanded apically with bluntly 

 triangular apex. 



The genus is a natural one. Insects of other genera cannot 

 be placed in it by mistake. A Cassidid from the Oriental region, 

 in which the head, viewed dorsally, is not completely concealed 

 under the prothorax, might belong to any of the following four 

 genera: Calopepla, Epistictia, Hoplionota, Prioptera. 



A table will easil}^ distinguish them thus : — 



A. Body oblong or oblong-ovate. 



a, Prothorax much narrower than elytra and 



with strongly reflexed margin , . Calopepla. 



a^- Prothorax only slightly narrower than 



elytra and with slightly reflexed margin Epistictia. 



Ai Body sub- quadrate or rotundate. 



1). Antennae clubbed . . . . Hoplionota. 



b'- Antennae subfiliform .. .. Prioptera. 



