301 



Cleptor. 



Although placed in the Edusitae (whose elytra are given 

 as more or less evidently transversely rugose) the elytra of this 

 genus were described as "vix perspicue rugosa." Blackburn 

 (ante, 1900, p. 167) has commented upon the extreme closeness 

 of the genus to Colaspoides, and has referred to it Colaspis 

 xanthopus. I have identified, with some doubt, Colaspis 

 austral is, which also appears to belong to the genus. It is 

 doubtful if the genus can be maintained as distinct from. 

 Colaspoides, but, nevertheless, I venture to here treat it as 

 distinct, and to split it up into several divisions, each with 

 definite structural features (but of doubtful importance). 

 Some of the divisions might very well be regarded as belonging 

 to Colaspoides, but at least it is probable that future workers 

 will be able to recognize them. Quite possibly also some of 

 them might be regarded as belonging to Edusa (to which genus 

 several species with entirely glabrous upper-surface have been 

 referred). In all the species the second joint of the antennae 

 is always distinctly shorter than the third. They are nearly 

 all brightly metallic, greatly variable, and of small or medium 

 size. The tibiae are usually supplied with conspicuous ridges 

 or carinae ; of these there are usually several on the sides and 

 two on the supper-surface, extending from the base, or near 

 same, to apex, gradually becoming more distant till at the 

 apex they are rather wide apart, and a notch appears in which 

 the base of the tarsus can rest ; the ridges, with the accompany- 

 ing channel, are usually more distinct on the middle pair or 

 on the two hind pairs than on the front ones. The sexes differ 

 in the apical segment of abdomen, in the tarsi, and usually in 

 the tibiae. 



Div. 1. — Upper-surface glabrous. Eyes entire or almost 

 so. Prothorax with margins not dentate or subdentate about 

 middle, and at base scarcely, if at all, narrower than base of 

 elytra. Femora edentate ; tibiae longitudinally canaliculate, 

 and not notched near outer apex ; claws appendiculate. 



Div. 3. — With the specified characters of Div. 1, except 

 that the tibiae are not longitudinally canaliculate. 



Div. 3. — With the specified characters of Div. 1, except 

 that the front femora are dentate ; the tooth itself is some- 

 times small, but in such cases the femur itself is distinctly 

 angulate. 



Div. Jf.. — With the specified characters of Div. 1, except 

 that the front femora are dentate, and that the tibiae are not 

 longitudinally canaliculate. 



Div. 5. — With the specified characters of Div. 1, except 

 that the front femora are dentate, the tibiae not longitudinally 

 canaliculate, and that the eyes are notched. 



