﻿126 
  PROCEEDESrGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  MUSEUM 
  vol. 
  io3 
  

  

  Genus 
  Strabala 
  Chevrolat 
  

  

  Description. 
  — 
  Between 
  3.5 
  and 
  6 
  mm. 
  in 
  length, 
  oval, 
  deep 
  yellowish 
  

   or 
  orange 
  brown 
  or 
  reddish 
  brown, 
  with 
  antennae 
  dark, 
  legs 
  and 
  under- 
  

   surface 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  dark, 
  and 
  scutellum 
  usually 
  conspicuously 
  dark; 
  

   moderately 
  shining, 
  most 
  species 
  very 
  minutely 
  and 
  confusedly 
  

   punctate, 
  only 
  the 
  North 
  American 
  species, 
  iS. 
  rufa 
  (Illiger), 
  very 
  

   distinctly 
  punctate. 
  

  

  Head, 
  except 
  for 
  mouth 
  parts 
  that 
  are 
  usually 
  a 
  little 
  darker, 
  deep 
  

   yellowish 
  or 
  reddish, 
  eyes 
  entire 
  and 
  widely 
  separated, 
  the 
  interocular 
  

   space 
  being 
  more 
  than 
  half 
  the 
  width 
  of 
  the 
  head; 
  occiput 
  smoothly 
  

   rounded 
  down 
  to 
  tubercles, 
  with 
  scattered 
  and 
  not 
  very 
  dense 
  or 
  coarse 
  

   punctures; 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  occiput, 
  not 
  visible 
  except 
  when 
  the 
  head 
  is 
  

   a 
  little 
  protruded, 
  a 
  groove 
  running 
  from 
  behind 
  one 
  eye 
  to 
  the 
  other; 
  

   on 
  either 
  side 
  above 
  the 
  frontal 
  tubercles 
  and 
  near 
  the 
  eye 
  a 
  depression 
  

   consisting 
  of 
  a 
  large 
  fovea, 
  or 
  more 
  frequently 
  a 
  circle 
  of 
  punctures; 
  

   frontal 
  tubercles 
  plainly 
  marked, 
  a 
  broadly 
  rounded 
  and 
  somewhat 
  

   produced 
  area 
  between 
  antennal 
  sockets 
  that 
  extends 
  and 
  widens 
  down 
  

   the 
  front 
  nearly 
  to 
  the 
  labrum, 
  area 
  under 
  sockets 
  a 
  little 
  depressed 
  

   and 
  on 
  sides 
  below 
  eyes 
  the 
  cheeks 
  rounded 
  out 
  and 
  densely 
  punctate. 
  

   Antennae 
  rather 
  stout, 
  not 
  quite 
  reaching 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  elytra, 
  

   first 
  two 
  joints 
  swollen, 
  usually 
  paler, 
  remainder 
  piceous, 
  thh-d 
  joint 
  

   a 
  little 
  longer 
  than 
  fourth, 
  fourth 
  and 
  fifth 
  about 
  equal. 
  Prothorax 
  

   not 
  quite 
  twice 
  as 
  wide 
  as 
  long, 
  with 
  rounded 
  sides 
  and 
  narrow 
  margin, 
  

   the 
  apical 
  angle 
  resembling 
  that 
  of 
  Disonycha 
  except 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  sepa- 
  

   rated 
  from 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  margin 
  by 
  a 
  distinct 
  though 
  tiny 
  V-shaped 
  

   indentation, 
  basal 
  angle 
  with 
  a 
  small 
  tooth 
  and 
  obliquely 
  cut, 
  disk 
  

   smooth 
  and 
  rather 
  flat, 
  with 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  of 
  a 
  depression 
  along 
  base 
  

   and 
  not 
  distinctly 
  limited 
  at 
  the 
  ends 
  as 
  m 
  Lactica. 
  Scutellum 
  large, 
  

   usually 
  conspicuously 
  dark, 
  contrasting 
  with 
  the 
  reddish 
  elytra. 
  

   Elytra 
  broader 
  than 
  prothorax, 
  moderately 
  convex, 
  with 
  small 
  

   humeri 
  and 
  narrow 
  margin, 
  not 
  depressed 
  ; 
  surface 
  usually 
  smooth, 
  not 
  

   distinctly 
  punctate 
  except 
  in 
  S. 
  rufa, 
  entirely 
  yellowish 
  or 
  reddish 
  

   brown. 
  Epipleura 
  broad, 
  gradually 
  diminishing 
  and 
  not 
  quite 
  reach- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  apex. 
  Body 
  beneath 
  variable 
  in 
  color, 
  the 
  prosternum 
  red- 
  

   dish, 
  the 
  breast 
  and 
  abdomen 
  and 
  legs 
  in 
  West 
  Indian 
  species 
  usually 
  

   but 
  not 
  always 
  dark, 
  in 
  North 
  American 
  species 
  the 
  breast 
  dark 
  on 
  

   the 
  sides, 
  the 
  femora 
  pale 
  except 
  in 
  apical 
  half 
  or 
  sometimes 
  entirely 
  

   pale, 
  the 
  tibiae 
  and 
  tarsi 
  dark, 
  the 
  sides 
  and 
  apex 
  of 
  the 
  abdomen 
  

   sometimes 
  also 
  dark; 
  in 
  Trinidad 
  and 
  South 
  American 
  species, 
  the 
  

   coloring 
  beneath 
  dark 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  West 
  Indian 
  specimens. 
  Anterior 
  

   coxal 
  cavities 
  open, 
  front 
  coxae 
  narrowly 
  separated, 
  legs 
  rather 
  short, 
  

   hind 
  femora 
  moderately 
  thickened, 
  the 
  tibiae 
  as 
  in 
  Disonycha 
  with 
  a 
  

   slight 
  ridge, 
  a 
  spur 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  posterior 
  tibiae, 
  claws 
  appendiculate. 
  

  

  