ME MB RAC ID^E. 
145 
M. Beske says that the larva much resembles the perfect insect; and that he has 
often witnessed ants sucking the liquid which proceeds from a space between the 
head and the pronotum. This gland must be sought for in the recent insect. 
Fairmaire describes six species all of which are inhabitants of Central or South 
America. 
COMBOPHORA BESKII. 
(Plate XXXI. figs. 1, la-lc, 2, 2a.) 
Germ. l.c. PI. XII. Fairin. l.c. p. 504, PI. II I. fig. 7. Membracis cucullata, Perty, l.c. PI. XXXV. 
fig. 0. M. irianis, Fabr. l.c. PI. XXXV. (1803). M. inanis, Stal, l.c. p. 35. 
This remarkable insect, when seen in profile has much the appearance of a 
Coccinella (or lady-bird) or some similar beetle which it might be thought to mimic. 
The hemispherical pronotum is deeply punctured, and is of a strawberry red colour, 
with ten various sized and irregularly shaped black spots, more or less confluent. 
They occur either squarish or rounded. The head and perpendicular frons is only 
partially covered by the pronotum, which has two oblong black streaks reaching to 
the eyes. The pronotum ends posteriorly in a sharp and short thorn-like process, 
which projects beyond the apex of the abdomen but not to the tips of the tegmina. A 
sharp black spur also is exserted at right angles on each side above the posterior end. 
The tegmina are transparent with brownish-clouded tips, and the neurat.ion is fine 
and black. 
Legs long, anterior tibiae rather flattened; tarsi long. 
Individuals vary much both in size, colour, and markings. The prevailing tint is 
some shade of red, but there are examples of semi-transparent yellow or salmon colour 
variously spotted with black. 
At first sight these last-named insects might be thought to be distinct species, 
but such characters of pattern, so persistent in some Lepidoptera and Colioptera 
must be slightly regarded in this family of Homoptera. 
The eyes of Combophora are wide apart, and the antennal organs, so rarely seen in 
other genera are here obvious, though small and setose. 
Size, 8 x 4 to 11 x 8 mm. 
Expanse of wings 22 mm. 
Habitat. —Amazons, Brazil, and Central America. 
(Plate XXXI. fig. 2.) 
This figure represents one of the remarkable variations of C. BesJcii , from the 
normal insect, above noted. It is very pale in colour. 
