Materials, Their Taxonomy and Natural History 53 



classed it as an habitudinal variety on account of its separation in space and its 

 known differences of gametic constitution. 



Desceiption of Living Animals. 



Imago: Broadly oval, convex, robust; in general, shorter and broader than 

 multitceniata, color variable, orange-red or reddish yellow, pattern dense black ; 

 punctations weaker and surface more polished than L. multitceniata. Above: 

 Head and pronotum reddish yellow, often orange or red, marked with dense, 

 extensively fused pattern not variable, few scattered weak punctations on epi- 

 cranium behind eyes and on lateral portion of pronotum; polished; on epi- 

 cranium pattern center fused into general one which nearly covers entire part. 

 Pronotum, central triangular spot reaching to anterior margin, h' — a' — am — 

 a — b with central lighter area; d', e' , f and d, e, f always fused and usually 

 reaching posterior border in outer angle. Not infrequently fused with central 

 area ; c' and c always free. Mouthparts black or deep brown ; antennae black ; 

 basal joints sometimes brownish, terminal joint very short, conical; scutellum 

 black, polished; elytra orange, yellow, red, variable, with 5 dense black longi- 

 tudinal stripes, broader than in any other member of group, and edged with 

 an irregular double row of feeble punctations. Second and third always fused 

 partially. First and darkened anal margin form wide median band. Costal 

 edge inflexed, smooth, flat. Below: Legs almost always black, tibia rarely 

 brownish in central portion. Legs, polished, few punctures and minute 

 scattered hairs. Thoracic and abdominal surface yellow-brown, with variable 

 amount of fusion between color elements. 



Size: Constant; male 10 to 13 mm. long, 7 to 9.5 mm. broad; female 10 to 

 14 mm. long, 7 to 10 mm. broad. 



Sexes: Female with sternal sclerite of last abdominal segment rounded 

 smooth and in male truncate, deeply grooved; female larger than male, but 

 difference in size is less than in multitceniata. 



Food: Solanum rostratum or allied species. 



Juvenile Stages. 



Eggs: Dark yellow or reddish yellow, laid on lower surface of leaves in 

 bunches of 10 to 150, as in other forms; not often stalked, oval, ventrally 

 concave, or flattened, smooth, polished. Length, 3 to 2.75 mm., 1.25 to 1.75 mm. 

 broad. Incubation 6 to 12 days ; average 8 days. 



First larval stage: Head, pronotum, and legs deep shiny black; body reddish 

 yellow or deep yellow ; full complement of body-spots, each with one or more 

 spines. Length at end of stage, 2.5 to 3.75 mm. 



Second larval stage : Head, pronotum, and eyes shiny black ; pronotum with 

 anterior border deep reddish brown, brown, or rarely red; body-color variable, 

 deep chrome-yellow, yellow-red, ocher ; spiracula and basopleural spots present, 

 strongly developed ; few pairs of the inner tergals present at anterior end of the 

 series. Length at end of stage, 4.5 to 6.5 mm. 



Third larval stage : In color and pattern identical with second stage. Length 

 at end of stage, 8.75 to 14 mm. Length of larval period varies from 15 to 25 

 days ; averages about 18 days. 



Pupa: Pupates in ground from 2 to 5 inches below surface; pupa yellow, 

 with spiracula and variable tergal spots. Pupation lasts from 6 to 12 days; 

 on the average 10 days. 



