OCR Text |
Show 1882.] SPECIES OF PHYTOPHAGOUS COLEOPTERA. 53 thickened; second a little shorter than the third ; seventh and eighth joints gradually widened ; last three joints flattened, broader than long, black. Thorax narrowly transverse, fulvous, shining ; sides rounded, anterior margin straight; disk rather convex, closely and deeply punctured. Scutellum triangular, fulvous. Elytra wider at tbe base than the thorax, moderately convex, the sides deflexed ; surface closely and regularly punctate-striate, black, opaque, a triangular spot at the shoulder and a narrow elongate apical one fulvous. Underside and legs entirely fulvous. Three specimens are contained in my collebtion. BALYA, nov. gen. Elongate, subparallel. Head perpendicular, broad, invisible from above. Eyes slightly emarginate, small. Palpi filiform. Antennae half the length of the body ; second joint short, globose ; third and following three joints subequal, slender ; the rest gradually thickened. Thorax transverse, its sides rounded and entire, anterior angles produced. Scutellum triangular. Elytra slightly wider than the thorax, convex, semipunctate-striate. Legs of moderate size ; the intermediate and posterior tibia? of the male with a large triangular acute tooth. $ • Intermediate tibiae toothed only, the posterior ones emarginate ; prosternum greatly narrowed in the middle, the base truncate ; anterior thoracic episternum concave, Type, Balya quadrimaculata. I found this genus upon a handsome-coloured insect, of which three specimens are contained in my collection, from Brazil. It ought to he placed amongst the first group of the Eumolpidae (the Iphimeince, according to Chapuis's arrangement), from all genera of which it is easily distinguished by the toothed middle and posterior tibiae of the male and its general elongate subcylindrical shape. 5. BALYA QUADRIMACULATA, sp. nov. Below black; head, thorax, and the base of the femora fulvous; antennae (the first 4 joints excepted), a spot at the middle of the thorax, and the tibiae black ; elytra dark purplish, the suture and two spots on each elytron flavous. Length 3 lines. Hab. Brazil (Lagoa Santa). Head very finely and closely punctured, broad, the eyes very distant. Antennae black, the first four joints fulvous. Palpi fulvous, terminal joint black. Thorax transversely convex, not narrower at the apex than at the base, the anterior angles produced into a short tooth, fulvous, with a central black rhomboidal spot; surface scarcely visibly punctured. Scutellum black, triangular. Elytra slightly wider at the base than the thorax, parallel and subcylindrical ; surface closely covered with large and smaller punctures arranged in subregularrows, the apex longitudinally costate; of adark purplish-blue colour, the suture narrowly, and two irregular-shaped spots near |