266 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



[June, '12 



Vulturopinae, a new Subfamily of the Psocidae ; t> pe 

 Vulturops gen. nov. (Platyp., Corrod.). 



By CHARLES H. T. TOWNSEND, Piura, Peru. 



The following very interesting insect was found by me 

 some time ago in Piura, in north-western Peru. It evidently 

 forms the type not only of a new genus but of a new sub- 

 family. New forms of the lower and more primitive types of 

 insects, like the present, coming from the west coast region 

 of South America, possess a greatly added interest from the 

 fact that they will quite certainly throw much light on early 

 land connections between South America, Africa and Aus- 

 tralasia, when the faunas of all three regions shall have been 

 more thoroughly investigated. 



Aside from the novelty of this form, and the biogeographic 

 interest attaching to it, it is remarkable as being termitophil- 

 ous in habit. In view of all these facts, 1 venture to describe 

 it for the purpose of record. 



VULTUROPINAE new subfamily. 



Differs from the Psocinge as follows : 



A pair of subanal cerci present, with a tubercle just above 

 them ; these and end of abdomen with hairs. Abdomen sub- 

 globular, apparently of ten segments; thorax and abdomen 

 stout, rather suggestive of the form of Sminthnrus. Only 

 one pair of wings developed, the anterior pair, the costa and 

 veins heavy and sparsely set with long curved spine-like 

 bristles ; posterior wings atrophied, calypter-like or mere pads. 



FIG. i. Vulturops termitorum n. sp. Right anterior wing, upper surface, the bristles 

 all detached. 



