SEVEN NEW FLEA BEETLES FROM THE WEST 
INDIES ( COLEOPTERA — CHRY SOMELIDiE ) 1 
By Doris H. Blake 
Arlington, Va. 
This paper contains descriptions of seven new flea 
beetles from Jamaica, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico in the 
collection of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Cam- 
bridge. Five of these were collected by P. J. Darlington. 
Lactica xanthotrachela n. sp. 
Fig. 1 
From 3-4 mm. in length, elongate oblong, shining, dark 
blue or green with yellow head and thorax and deep brown 
antennae, mouthparts and legs, hind legs usually with 
metallic lustre. 
Head with interocular space over half its width, shin- 
ing, smoothly rounded over occiput with a large puncture 
on either side near eye and obsolete small punctures on 
front, tubercles more or less distinctly marked, the space 
between antennal sockets a little produced and rounded; 
mouthparts dark. Antennae with slightly paler basal 
joints, deep brown otherwise, third joint shorter than 
fourth, remainder subequal. Prothorax not quite twice 
as broad as long with almost straight sides and deep and 
very slightly sinuate basal sulcus ; surface shining and 
finely punctate. Elytra more distinctly punctate than pro- 
thorax, very shining, green or blue, the humeri well 
marked by a short intrahumeral sulcus, otherwise the 
elytra smoothly convex. Epipleura wide but disappear- 
ing before the apex. Body beneath lustrous, the pale 
color of thorax extending down to the coxae of the middle 
legs, rest of undersurface lustrous black or with metallic 
blue color, and finely pubescent. Legs dark, the hind 
ones, at least, with metallic lustre. First tarsal joint 
of hind legs long, claws appendiculate. Length 3. 1-4.1 
mm. ; width 1.5-2 mm. 
1 Published with a grant from the Museum of Comparative Zoology at 
Harvard College. 
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