56 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [March, 



1873. Mermiria StM, Recensio Orthopt., i, p. 102. [M. belfragii St&I.] 



1877. Mermiria Scudder, Proc. Boston Soo. Nat. Hist., xix, p. 30. 



1890. Mermiria Bruner, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xii, p. 53. 



1897. Mermiria McNeill, Proc. Davenp. Acad. Nat. Sci., vi, pp. 195, 203. 



1899. Mermiria Scudder, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts and Sci., xxxv, p. 41. 



1904. Mermiria Bruner, Biol. Cent. -Amer., Orth., ii, pp. 26, 37. 



1904. Papagoa Bruner, Ibid., ii, pp. 27, 42. [P. arizonensis Bruner.] 



Genotype: M. belfragii Stal { = Opomala neo-mexicana Thomas). 

 Type by monotypy. 



Position of Genus. — The genus Mermiria is the sole member 

 of the group Mermiriae. The other genus placed in that group 

 by Brunner, 1893, was Syrhula, and this has no close affinity with 

 Mermiria, being instead a member of the group Amblytropidiae.' 

 No affinity exists with any of the typical Hyalopterygine genera, 

 such as Hyalopteryx, Achurum, Eutruxalis, Truxalis and Radi- 

 notatum, but considerable resemblance and some real relationship 

 is evident with Pseudopomala, which is an aberrant Hyalopterygid, 

 probably connecting the latter group with the Mermiriae. The 

 genus Acantherus is not allied and jits affinities are clearly with 

 the Orphulellse or the Amblytropidiae, or perhaps both. 



The exact position of the Mermiriae in the sub-family Acridinae 

 remains to be determined, and then only after a comprehensive 

 study of the known genera, but it is evident that its development 

 was probably from a Hyalopterygine stock, possibly through 

 Pseudopomala, and the Mermiriae should, at least, be kept in the 

 general neighborhood of the Hyalopteryges. 



Generic Description. — Form typically Truxaloid, elongate, alate. 

 Head with facial line decidedly retreating: fastigio-facial angle 

 evident: fastigium produced, angulate to rounded, weakly or not 

 at all carinate, weakly or moderately impressed: lateral foveolae 

 obsoletely to appreciably indicated, sub-ventral in position, not 

 visible from the dorsum: frontal costa sharply indicated, con- 

 tinuous, in part at least sulcate: lateral facial carinas promi- 

 nent, diverging ventrad: eyes ovoid to ovoid-elliptical, axis dorso- 

 cephalad to ventro-caudad, moderately prominent from dorsum: 

 antennae ensiform, deplanate. Pronotum longitudinal, median 

 carina indicated, with or without lateral carinae: lateral lobes 

 normal, with or without supplementary longitudinal carinae at 

 middle, ventral margin of lateral lobes distinctly or scarcely thick- 

 ened: caudal margin of disk arcuate or angulate; prozona of dorsum 



1 This is very evident after making comparisons of Syrbula with a number of 

 genera of the Amblytropidiae. It is clearly not far removed from Leurocerus 

 and Amhlylropidia. 



