"4 PROCEEDLNGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 104 



The author wishes to acknowledge her gratitude to various institu- 

 tions and people for lending material for this study, in particular to 

 J. Balfour-Browne and G. E. Bryant, British Museum (Natural 

 History) (BM) ; Mont A. Cazier and J. C. Pallister, American Museum 

 of Natural History (AMNH); P. J. Darlington Jr., Museum of Com- 

 parative Zoology (MCZ); K. Delkeskamp, Zoologisches Museum, 

 Humboldt-Universitat, Berlin (ZMB); Hugh Leech and E. C. Van 

 Dyke, California Academy of Sciences (CAS) ; Rene Malaise, Natur- 

 historiska Riksmuseet, Stockholm; F, Mom'os, Fundacion Miguel 

 Lillo, Tucumdn; as well as the United States National Museum. 



Key to the vittate species of Disonycha from Mexico and Central America 



1. Elytra with at most only faint traces of a median vitta, the vitta being either 



entirely absent or with traces at base or very pale 2 



Elytra with strong median vitta 7 



2. Median vitta entirely absent, sutural vitta wide, a narrow marginal vitta 



(Mexico) trivittata new species (p. 45) 



Median vitta present to some extent 3 



3. Median vitta represented by spot at base (Panamd) 



longipennis new species (p. 42) 

 Median vitta very pale 4 



4. Prothorax entirely pale 5 



Prothorax spotted 6 



5. Elytra without definite sutural, submarginal, or marginal vittae, median vitta 



very pale, often short (typical specimens without any vittae) (Florida Keys, 



Mexico) antennata Jacoby (p. 28) 



Elytra with pale sutural and submarginal vittae, the median vitta having 

 a short one beside it at apex (Mexico, Central America) 



brevilineata Jacoby (p. 34) 



6. Prothorax with two dark spots anteriorly; sutural, median, and submarginal 



vittae very pale (Arizona, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica) 



figurata Jacoby (p. 22) 

 Prothorax with median elongate diamond-shaped dark spot; elytra with a 

 pale outline of median vitta, sutural edges dark (Mexico) 



liogei Jacoby (p. 36) 



7. A short vitta near apex of median vitta (Mexico, Central America) 



brevilineata Jacoby (p. 34) 

 No short vitta near apex of median vitta 8 



8. Elytra with traces of ridging, especially marked in the female either on the 



median vitta or more laterally near the apex 9 



Elytra with no trace of costation 13 



9. Prothorax immaculate (Mexico, Central America) . rccticollis Jacoby (p. 11) 

 Prothorax either spotted or banded 10 



« Three species of Disonycha are omitted from these keys, two of which are from the West Indies, consisting 

 of D. gpilotrachela Blake, from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Haiti, and D. goivdeyi Bryant known only from 

 Jamaica. The first, D. spllofrachela, (p. 39), has a 5-spotted pronotum, and the second, D. goivdeyi, (p. 40), 

 has a 7-spotted pronotum. The third species, D. megaspilota, (p. 53), an unusually large one of 8.5 to 9 

 mm. In length, with three large dark pronotal spots, has no locality record. 



