LEIOSCAPHEUS. 267 



LEIOSCAPHEUS, gen. nov. 



The genus Leioscapheus is composed of medium-sized locusts in which the prevailing colours are yellow and 

 green, sometimes inclining to hluish. These insects are related to Proctolabus, Sauss., and Anniceris, 

 Stal. They have the front moderately oblique, the eyes prominent, slightly longer than wide, the vertex 

 very narrow, only about one-half the width of the diameter of the basal antennal joints. The antennoe 

 are long and slender, more than twice the combined length of the head and prothorax, and composed of 

 from 22 to 25 joints. Pronotum but little longer than wide, rapidly expanding on the hind lobe, which 

 is much shorter than the anterior one, roundly advanced upon the occiput and frequently notched in the 

 middle ; the transverse sulci are broad and deeply impressed, while the hind margin is broadly rounded. 

 Tegmina and wings somewhat abbreviated, from two-thirds to four-fifths the length of the abdomen ; the 

 former slightly corneous, and rather strongly and profusely veined. Hind femora neither especially robust 

 nor yet markedly slender, extending a trifle beyond the tip of the abdomen, anterior and middle femora 

 slender ; hind tibiae feebly spined, the number of spines varying from 2 to 7 externally and from 4 to 10 

 internally ; the hind tarsi long and heavy, with the second joint slightly longer than the first, both the 

 tibiae and tarsi profusely set with long hairs. Valves of the ovipositor slender, straight, smooth and 

 unadorned, the apices acuminate. 



At least three species of the genus Leioscapheus are at hand, showing a distribution 

 from Southern Mexico to Costa Rica. It is unfortunate that there are no males 

 amongst the material studied. L. gracilicornis may be considered the type of the 

 genus. 



Synopsis of the Species of Leioscapheus. 



A 1 . Body and tegmina longitudinally striped with yellow and olivaceous- 

 green, or, sometimes, with a bluish tinge. Antennae unicolorous. 

 b\ Antennae very long and slender, fuscous or black. Insect rather 



slender in form. [Costa Rica.] 1. gracilicornis, sp. n. 



&\ Antennae ferruginous, heavier and less elongate. Insect more 



robust. [Vera Cruz, Yucatan.] 2, variegatus, sp. n. 



A*. Body and tegmina not longitudinally striped. The antennas distinctly 



annulate with flavous or testaceous. [Guatemala.] ...... 3. annulicornis, sp. n. 



1. Leioscapheus gracilicornis, sp. n. 



A moderately graceful, more or less glabrous insect, with long, slender antennae, which slightly exceed twice 

 the combined length of the head and the pronotum, and in which the hind tibiae are dark plumbeous in 

 colour. Eyes brassy, large and prominent, only a little longer than broad, separated above by a space 

 equal to the diameter of the second antennal joint. Fastigium smooth, somewhat depressed, about as 

 long as its basal width and provided with a slight longitudinal sulcus ; frontal costa plane and fairly 

 prominent between the antennae, below the ocellus nearly obliterated. Front sparsely but coarsely 

 punctate, the lateral carinas heavy above and strongly divergent below, the cheeks also punctulate, the 

 space below the eyes a trifle more than one-half the length of the . latter ; occiput short, bulging, also 

 more or less strongly punctured. Pronotum small, rather longer than broad, the posterior lobe only 

 about one-half the length of the smooth anterior lobe, profusely punctate ; transverse sulci profound, the 

 hind margin subangulate, the front border somewhat prominent, a little advanced upon the occiput and 

 faintlv notched or emarginate at the middle. Tegmina closely veined and nearly as long as the abdomen, 

 o-ently tapering, the apex rounded, the costal field somewhat ampliate near the base. Abdomen slender 

 and gradually tapering, the valves of the ovipositor slender, straight, unarmed. Hind femora com- 

 paratively slender, nearly or quite reaching the apex of the abdomen ; hind tibiae slender, irregularly 



2 Mm 2 



