1114 



FAMILY LIII.- — CIIRYSOMELID/E. 



IX. Babia Chev. 1834. (NL., "a baboon.") 



Two species and two nominal varieties of this g'enus occur in the 

 United States. One of the two occurs in Indiana. 



2053 (6596). Babia quadkiguttata Oliv., Encyc. Method. Ins., VI, 1796,37. 

 Oblong, convex. Black, shining; elytra each with a large humeral and 



smaller apical reddish-yellow spot. Thorax a little narrower than elytra, 

 finely and rather sparsely punctate. Elytra with irregular rows of larger 

 punctures ; intervals with numerous scattered punctures. Length 3.5-4 mm. 



Throughout the State ; common. May 16-August 15. Occurs 

 on milkweed and other plants along roadsides. The short, stout, 

 subserrate antennae will readily distinguish it from other black and 

 red species of following genera. The elytra are not striate nor 

 coarsely punctate, as stated by Crotch and others. 



X. Saxinis Lac. 1849. 



Here, again, most of the seven species are from the western and 

 southwestern states, only one being found east of the Mississippi. 



2054 (6598). Saxinis omogeea Lac, Mom, II, 1842, 482. 



Oblong or subcylindrical. Bluish or greenish-black, shining; finely pu- 

 bescent beneath ; elytra each with a large reddish-yellow spot on humerus. 

 Thorax convex, as wide as elytra, sparsely and rather finely punctured. 

 Elytra with rows of coarse, close-set punctures, the rows on disk some- 

 what irregular. Length 3-3.7 mm. 



Southern half of State, frequent ; not taken north of Vermillion 

 County. May 17-July 21. Taken by beating or sweeping foliage 

 along roadsides, etc. 



Tribe V. CHLAMYDINI. 



Short, robust, cylindrical or subquadrate beetles of a dull metal- 

 lic or blackish hue, having the eyes large, emarginate; thorax and 

 elytra covered with wart-like tubercles ; antennae widely separated, 

 short, serrate and received in grooves on the side of prosternum; 

 scutellum truncate behind and with a median tooth in front which 

 fits into a notch in base of thorax ; elytra! suture with minute teeth 

 each side which dove-tail between one another. The legs are closely 

 contractile and when disturbed the beetles draw them and the an- 

 tennae in and feign death. They then resemble the excrement of 

 certain caterpillars so closely as to render their detection difficult, 

 unless the collector is in especial search for them, and it is said that 

 birds will not pick them up for the same reason. The larvae of this 

 and part of the next tribe live upon the surface of leaves, and have 



