1904.] AMERICAN PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTERA. 397 



about the middle of the elytra, black, the lower three joints and 

 the base of the fourth flavous, third and fourth joints equal, 

 slightly longer than the second ; thorax twice as broad as long, 

 the sides nearly straight, with a narrow margin, the anterior 

 angles obliquely thickened, the basal sulcus deep, straight, and 

 bovinded at the sides by equally deep perpendicular grooves, the 

 surface impunctate, flavous or fulvous ; scutellum fulvous ; elytra 

 without basal depression, the base distinctly, closely and somewhat 

 regularly punctured, the punctuation gradually diminishing in 

 size towards the apex ; underside and legs fulvous, the tarsi 

 sometimes piceous. 



Hah. Mexico (found in tobacco), Jalapa. 



This species was not known to me when I described the 

 Central American Phytophaga for the Biolog. Centr.- Americana. 

 It must be placed near L. dives Har. and L. clara Har., and is 

 also closely allied to several other Mexican species of Lactica ; but 

 it differs from all in one or more details, notably in the distinct 

 frontal tubercles, colour of the antenna3, and of the under side, 

 and the fine elytral punctuation, &c. There are five specimens 

 before me. 



Lactica decorata, sp. n. 



Fulvous ; antennge, the underside and legs more or less black ; 

 thorax impunctate, with very deep sulcus ; elytiu minutely punc- 

 tured, a transverse band at the base and a large spot near the 

 apex metallic blue or greenish. 



Yar. a. Elytra metallic blue, the lateral margins narrowly and 

 the apical one broadly fulvous. 



Var. h. Antenna?, under side, and legs entirely fulvous. 



Length 7-7 2 millim. 



Head with a single punctiu"e near each eye, the rest of the 

 surface impunctate, frontal elevations absent, clypeus convex 

 between the antennee, labrum black ; antennte more or less piceous, 

 sometimes nearly fulvous, robust, extending beyond the middle of 

 the elytra, the second and third joints short, nearly equal, following 

 joints elongate ; thorax scarcely twice as broad as long, the sides 

 straight, obliquely narrowed anteriorly, almost concave, the anterior 

 angles strongly oblique, the basal sulcus slightly sinuate, very deep 

 at the sides, less so at the middle, the surface entii^ely impunc- 

 tate, pale fulvous ; scutellum fulvous or piceous ; elytra with an 

 obsolete depression below the base, extremely finely and remotely 

 punctured, fulvous, a transverse band at the base, not extending 

 to the lateral margins and downwards to about the third portion 

 of the elytra, and a transversely shaped shorter band or spot below 

 the middle, metallic greenish or bluish ; underside and legs black, 

 abdomen more or less fulvous. 



Hah. Peru. 



A handsome species, somewhat allied in coloration in regard 

 to the variety to L. marginata Clark, but the elytra of metallic 

 coloration and the underside black. I have looked upon the 



