| OCR Text |
Show 1 9 0 5 .] OF PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTERA. 4 2 7 b. The basal spots absent; each elytron with a narrow, oblique band from the middle of the base to the lateral margin below the middle. c. The extreme basal margin, connected with a narrow sublateral longitudinal stripe, black. d. Elytra with two basal small spots and another at the middle. In all these forms the anterior and posterior margins of the thorax are more or less black, and frequently this colour occupies the entire middle of the disc, leaving only the sides testaceous ; the eyes are closely approached, and the head at the vertex is generally finely punctured and wrinkled, but sometimes impunctate ; the metatarsus of the hind legs is scarcely typical of Oedionychis, being rather more elongate, but not to such an extent as to include the species in Asphoera. The form with three black spots can scarcely be distinguished from 0. hnmeralis Fab., but in that species all the specimens I have seen have a unicolorous testaceous thorax, without any markings, and no black basal elytral margin. All the specimens before me (16) come from the Amazon regions. Elytra pale, with spots and bands combined. O e d io n y ch is p a r a l l in a , sp. n. Head and breast black ; thorax testaceous, impunctate ; elytra extremely minutely punctured, flavous, two spots at the base, two others below the middle, and a transverse band at the latter place black ; legs testaceous, apex of the posterior femora black. Length 6-7 millim. Of posteriorly slightly widened shape, rather flattened ; the head black, the vertex minutely granulate and punctured, frontal elevations very broad, trigonate, eyes extremely large, carina acute ; palpi flavous ; antenme rather robust, the basal four and the apical three joints flavous, the rest black, third and following joints nearly equal; thorax more than twice as broad as long, the sides gradually but broadly flattened, the posterior margin straight, the anterior angles not produced, the disc impunctate, testaceous ; scutellum black; elytra extremely minutely and closely, almost confluently punctured, testaceous, the shoulders with an elongate black spot, another round spot near the scutellum ; a transverse narrow band at the middle and two spots near the apex, placed transversely, likewise black ; breast black; abdomen and legs testaceous, the posterior femora black at the apex. Hab. Brazil. Easily known by the pattern of the elytra and system of coloration. The male insect is of considerably smaller size and much narrower. O e d io n y ch is c o lom b ia n a , sp. n. Piceous, above testaceous, the apical joints of the antenna? and |
