Sexual Dimoiyhism in Buprestis sanguinea. 381 



interrupted transverse fasciae on the elytra (the first two sometimes 

 connected laterally, and in one specimen on the disc also, and the 

 fourth often reduced to a small spot on the disc of each elytron), 

 flavoii3 or pale stramineous (whitish in life), the base of the prothorax 

 between the flavous lateral portions usually bordered with rufous or 

 with two or three rufous spots or streaks ; beneath yellow or pale 

 yellow, variegated with nigro-violaceous, a median stripe on the 

 venter and the ventral suiures being conspicuously marked with 

 this colour ; legs and antennae nigro-violaceous. Eyes large and 

 rather convex, the head appearing very broad. Tarsi moderately 

 dilated. Anterior tibiae simple, without recurved hook before the 

 apex. Fifth ventral segment abruptly truncate and slightly 

 emarginate at the apex. 



Length 11J-15J, breadth 4£-6 millim. [margaripicta, Mars.] 



$ . Bright rufous, with the following parts nigro-violaceous — the 

 head, except for two transverse yellow marks on the front, four spots 

 in a transverse row on the anterior part of the prothorax (all four, or 

 the two on the middle of the disc, sometimes connected, and those on 

 the disc sometimes wholly absent), the extreme basal margin of the 

 latter, the scutellum, the sutural and basal margins of the elytra very 

 narrowly, as well as the apex, a spot on the humeral callus, two 

 others in a transverse line below it, a transverse post-median fascia 

 (sometimes reduced to two spots on each elytron, and the inner one 

 of these not always present), and an interrupted fascia before the apex 

 (this latter often reduced to two spots, or wholly absent) ; beneath 

 coloured as in the males ; legs and antennae nigro-violaceous, the 

 femora sometimes with a yellow spot in the middle beneath. Eyes 

 smaller and less convex, the head thus appearing much narrower 

 than in the male. Tarsi feebly dilated. Anterior tibiae as in the 

 male. Fifth ventral segment feebly truncate at the apex. 



Length 10|-17|, breadth 4-7 millim. [sanguinea, Fabr. = 

 levaillanti, Luc] 



Head closely, rugosely punctured ; prothorax convex, coarsely, 

 closely punctate, deeply bisinuate at the base and apex, rounded at 

 the sides, with a short median channel or fovea in front of the 

 scutellum, the latter very small ; elytra deeply striate, the striae 

 finely punctate, the interstices convex and sparsely punctate, the 

 apex of each elytron obliquely truncate, with the sutural angle 

 acutely produced and the outer one more or less dentiform. Head, 

 legs, and under surface clothed with short, scattered, pallid hairs. 

 Median sulcus on the first ventral segment deep, extending nearly or 

 quite to the posterior margin of the latter, in some males carried on to 

 the second segment. 



There is in both sexes a considerable amount of variation in the 



