ME. J. S. BALT ON 'J HE GENUS DIABKOTICA. 213 



The Colombian Species of the Genus Diabrotica, with Descrip- 

 tions of those hitherto uucharacterized. — Part I. By Joseph 

 S. Balt, P.L.S. 



[Bead 17th December, 1885.] 



In the following paper I have endeavoured to collect together all 

 the species of Diabrotica known to me as having been found in 

 Colombia and Venezuela ; a large number of those here described 

 were collected by the late H. Steinheil, who some years since 

 placed his collection of Galerucinae in my liands for determina- 

 tion. The descriptions of his insects, although written at the 

 time, were laid on one side, and from various causes their publi- 

 cation has been delayed uj) to the present time. 



It will be seen that I have divided the genus into two principal 

 sections, dependent on the relative lengths of the second and 

 third joints of the antennae. 



Genus DIABROTICA. 



Section I. 

 Second and third joints of antennse short, nearly equal in 

 length, the third in some species being rather longer than the 

 second, the fourth as long or longer than the preceding two 

 united. 



A. Elytra black or metallic green, with large, round, 

 fulvous spots. 



1. DfABEOTiCA begalis, Baly, Annals Sf Mag. Nat. Hist. 

 Oct. 1859, p. 270. 



Var. A. Elytris a basi ad pone medium fulvis. 



Hah. Coper, Muzo : coll. Steinheil. Colombia, without precise 

 locality : my collection. Var. A. Cayenne : my collection. 



2. Diabrotica ELEGANTULA. Subelongata, postice paullo ampliata, 

 flava, nitida; capita, scutello, metapectore, tibiis tarsisque nigris; 

 antennarum articulis nono ad undecimum (hujus apice excepto) albidis ; 

 thorace subquadrato, rufo-testaceo, disco bifoveolato ; elytris crebre 

 punctatis, infra humeros longitudinaliter sulcatis ; viridi-seneis, utris- 

 que macula infra basin, fascia prope medium, ssepe utrinque abbre- 

 viata, apice limboque lateral!, flavis. Long. 3-3i lin. 



Sal. Magdalena Eiver : my collection. Muzo, Sta. Carlos, 

 Coper : collection of H. Steinheil. 



