HALTICA. 



419 



characters, so that the species cannot easily be determined with 

 certainty. The value of colour in this genus is very little, 

 because in a single catch " of one species, from one locality, it 

 may be blue, blue-black, black, or mixed with violet or purple. 

 Attempts are being made to use the structure of the sedeagus as 

 a differentiating character, but so tar no very successful results 

 have been obtained. The genus as a whole should be studied 

 from this point of view, but probably no single worker has yet had 

 the opportunity. Accurate field observations, tested by experi- 

 mental breeding, are also required. 



The form is generally oblong, the species are always winged, 

 the colour is blue or greenish-blue. They are moreover charac- 

 terized by having distinct frontal tubercles and a sharp frontal 

 ridge on the head. The second and third antennal segments are 

 of equal thickness, and the third and fourth are almost equal in 

 length. The pronotum is furnished at the base with a relatively 

 deep transverse depression, which is not bounded by a longitudinal 

 fold on each side. The elytra are confusedly punctate. The 

 anterior coxal cavities are open behind. The species are relatively 

 large, the Indian forms varying between 3J and 6 mm. in length. 



No key to the species is given, because the relationships of 

 those found within our regions are not well understood. 



Range. World-wide. 



340. Haltica foveicollis, Jacoby. 



Haltica (Graptodera) foveicollis, Jac, Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, 

 xxvii, 1889, p. 190. 



Body oblong, Colour greenish-aeneous above, and black on the 

 -underside ; legs black. 



Head with vertex impunctate, frontal elevations rather flat, 

 interantennal carina well developed ; eyes strongly convex. 

 Antennae extending to the middle of the elytra ; first segment 

 club-shaped, second short, third longer than second, shorter than 

 fourth, fifth about equal to fourth ; the following segments are 

 somewhat shorter and about equal to each other in length. 

 Prothorax somewhat broader than long, sides greatly rounded, 

 -anterior and posterior lateral angles rounded, each bearing a fine 

 seta ; surface gently convex, very finely and closely punctate in 

 the male, while in the female the punctures are very sparse ; 

 along the base the surface is depressed and in front, on each side 

 of the middle line, is a shallow depression. Scutellum triangular, 

 w 7 ith apex rounded and surface smooth and impunctate. Elytra 

 broader at base than prothorax, closely and confusedly punctate ; 

 the punctures are stronger than those of the pronotum and along 

 the middle there is an indication of arrangement in one or two 

 rows ; in the female there is a costa extending from the shoulder 

 to beyond the middle ; behind the scutellum a short longitudinal- 

 area is depressed. 



Length, 6 mm. 



2e2 



