Materials, Their Taxonomy and Natural History 59 



pubescent ; antennae, basal joints reddish, remainder black, pubescent, sixth to 

 eleventh broad as long, twelfth truncate, conical, broader than long. Pronotum 

 minutely, evenly, sparingly punctate; few larger scattered punctations near 

 lateral margin, polished. Pattern constant, central widely open V composed of 



c' h'+ +& + C 

 a-{-am-\ra 

 + 



e' + d'+ pm +d + e 



+ b'+ +h + 



in which elements are entirely and constantly obscured in all examples. Spots 

 d', e', f and d, e, f always fused and reaching posterior border, and usually 

 fused to central area, all by (i'-anterior end of a' and rf-anterior end of a. Cen- 

 tral area frequently reaching border of pronotum. Elytra : Anal border shiny 

 black with 5 broad, shiny, black longitudinal stripes ; third and fourth usually 

 fused posteriorly, all edged with irregular row of rather small punctations, 

 arrangement variable, in some specimens only single row, in others some rows 

 are partly double ; in none are they developed to the extent found in nmltitm- 

 niata or its varieties. Elytra polished, costal edge inflexed, red, smooth, flat, 

 polished, never punctate. Below: Eed body-color, nearly covered by color- 

 pattern composed of fused elements to the extent that usually only edges of 

 sclerites are red; legs, all shiny black, slightly pubescent femora and tibia 

 punctate, often strongly. 



Size: About same as muUitceniata but less variable, and sexes of nearly equal 

 size. Male, 9 to 12.25 mm. long, 7.5 to 9 mm. broad; female, 9 to 13,5 mm. 

 long, 7.5 to 10 mm. broad. 



Sexes: Female with sternal sclerite of last abdominal segment complete, 

 rounded, smooth ; male truncate, grooved ; female also broader posteriorly than 

 male. 



Food: Solanum rostratum, S. tuberosum (wild stock) on Nevada de Toluca. 



Juvenile Stages. 

 (Tower, 1906, plate 17, figs. 16, 17, 18.) 



Eggs: Bright red, large oval, polished; 3 to 3.5 mm. long, 1.25 to 1.75 mm. 

 broad ; ventrally flattened and concave, laid in bunches on lower side of leaves, 

 10 to 50 in a bunch, never stalked. Incubation lasts 8 to 12 days ; averages 10 

 days. 



First larval stage: Head, pronotum, and legs shiny black; body bright red 

 with full set of color markings. Length at end of stage, 3 to 4.5 mm. 



Second larval stage : Head, pronotum, and legs, shiny black ; body bright red, 

 spiracula, baso-pleural, and the anterior two or three pairs of inner tergal spots 

 present. Length at end of stage, 5 to 7.5 mm. 



Third larval stage: Exactly like the second stage, excepting that pronotum 

 has the anterior edge red and the anterior tergals wanting. Length at end of 

 stage, 10 to 17 mm. Length of larval period, 12 to 20 days; average 15 days. 



Pupa: Pupates in ground, 2 to 4 inches below surface. Pupa red, spiracula 

 and tergal spots present, variable. Pupation lasts from 8 to 17 days; averages 

 10 to 11 days. 



Length of ontogeny: 28 to 50 days; averages about 36 days. 



Geogbaphicax Distribution. 



Northern slope of Nevada de Toluca below oak zone, 8,500 to 9,500 feet; in 

 open grasslands. Recorded from following locations in all its stages. (Plate 5.) 



