LACTICA. 



427 



Body oblong. Head subtriangular, frontal tubercles and inter- 

 antennal carina well developed ; eyes moderately large, either 

 slightly sinuate at the inner margin or entire. Antennae ex- 

 tending somewhat beyond the middle of the body; first segment 

 long and club-shaped, second half the length of the first, third 

 somewhat longer than second, fourth longer than third : the 

 following segments gradually shortened. Prothorax more or less 

 transverse, somewhat narrowed in front, anterior border straight 

 with the lateral angles thickened and very obtuse, sides straight 

 or somewhat ronnded, surface with a fairly deep transverse 

 impression, bounded on each side by a short longitudinal im- 

 pression, at the base. ScuteMum triangular. Elytra oblong-ovate, 

 broadest at the middle or behind, confusedly punclate or with the 

 punctures tending to form longitudinal rows. Underside : front 

 coxal cavities open behind; legs more or less slender; anterior 

 tibiae very slightly dilated at the apex, with two feeble ridges on 

 the outer side ; posterior femora thickened, channelled on the 

 underside ; posterior tibiae somewhat bent, with two prominent 

 ridges on the outer side, these being set with hairs, and with 

 a spine at the apex ; claws appendiculate. 



Range. All parts of the world, more especially the warm, 

 regions of America. 



Key to the Species. 



Body yellowisli-red above L. silacea, Illig., p. 427. 



Head and pronotum black ; elytra either 



black, each with a large white patch 



Occupying almost all the posterior half, 



or entirely yellowish-white L. bipustidata, Jac, p. 428. 



349. Lactica silacea, Illiger. 



Haltica silacea, Illig., Mag. Insektenkimde, vi, 1807, p. 121. 

 Lactica ? silacea, Duvivier, Aim. Soc. Ent. Belg. xxxvi, 1892,. 

 p. 430. 



Body ovate, shining. Colour yellowish-red ; mouth-parts, 

 underside and femora of front legs reddish-yellow ; hind femora 

 brownish with the inner side of the under half brownish-yellow; 

 all the tibiae and tarsi blackish-brown ; the middle of the abdo- 

 minal sternites brownish; antennae brownish-yellow with the 

 apical half brownish; eyes black. 



Head narrower than prothorax. Prothorax narrower than 

 elytra, one-half as broad again as long, front and hind margins 

 straight, sides rounded, each of the four corners tuberculiform ; 

 upper side gently convex, the basal transverse impression bounded 

 on each side by a short longitudinal impression. Elytra smooth. 



Length, 2 lin. (5 mm. ?). 



Bengal (Daldorff Coll.). 



Type in the Copenhagen Museum. I have not seen the type. 



