OF WASHINGTON. 125 



Mr. Caudell presented for publication the following paper : 

 THE SYNONYMY OF CEDIPODA CINCTA THOMAS. 

 By A. N. CAUDELL. 



In 1870,* Thomas described his CEdipoda cincta, and a curious 

 condition has followed, for we now have two species based on 

 that one description Mcstobregma cinctum and Trimcrotropis 

 ciucta. It is obvious that one must be changed, as two specific 

 names cannot properly be based on one description. 



Six years after making the original description Thomas re 

 ferred his species with doubt to the genus Mestobregma^ and 

 four years later treated of it under that genus J But at that time the 

 genera were not clearly defined and the characters used by Thomas 

 as of generic value were inadequate for the separation of the two in 

 sects under discussion. In 1884, Saussure located Thomas' species, 

 from his description, in the genus Trimerotropis\ A careful 

 study of Thomas' descriptions shows that they apply much better 

 to a species of Trimerotropis than to a member of the genus 

 Mestobregma. While many of the characters given apply 

 equally well to either, certain ones apply only to Trimerotropis. 

 Such are the following: Disk of the posterior lobe of the pro- 

 notum nearly flat and with the posterior angle greater than a right 

 angle ; median carina of the thorax only a raised line ; posterior 

 femora not reaching the tip of the abdomen in the female. No 

 character mentioned in the description is inapplicable to a mem 

 ber of the genus Trimerotropis, and the type mentioned by 

 McNeillH belongs to that genus. Taken all together, it seems 

 well to consider Trimerotropis cincta to be the species eligibly 

 based on Thomas' original description. This being accepted, it 

 leaves the insect now known as Mestobregma cinctum to be 

 dealt with. As a new specific name seems inevitable, I propose 

 the name thomasi. The synonymy of the two species will thus 

 stand as follows : 



1. Trimerotropis cincta Thomas. 



CEdipodd cincta Thomas. 



Mestobregma cinctum Thomas (not Bruner, Scudder, etc.). 



2. Mestobregma thomasi Caudell. 



Mestobregma cinctum Bruner, Scudder, etc. (not Thomas). 



* Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., pp 8o-8r, 1870. 



fBull. 111. Mus. Nat. Hist., i, p. 65, 1876. 



\ Kept. Ent. 111., ix. pp. 90, 95, 113-114, iSSo. 



Prodr. CEdip., pp. 171-172, 1884. 



|| The insect Saussure had before him, however, was not Thomas' species, 

 but one described some years previous by Scudder as Trimerotropis vin- 

 ctilata. 



f Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xxm, pp. 414-415, 1901. 



