Vol. XXVl'i] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 269 



The Phasmidae of Minnesota, Iowa and 

 Missouri (Orth.). 



By M. P. SOMES, Mountain Grove, Missouri. 

 The Phasmidae, or, as commonly known, "Walking Sticks," 

 comprise a group of most interesting insects and since those 

 found within our territory are of good size and simple struc- 

 ture they should be better known. But one species has been 

 commonly recorded from this area. As known at present, 

 there are four species, representing three genera. The genera 

 may be separated as follows : 



Elongate, slender wingless insects, with the mesothorax four or 



more times as long as the prothorax ; tarsi five-jointed; middle and 



hind tibiae ventrally carinate to tip, without an apical areolate area; 



the antennae longer than the fore femora Subfamily BACUNCULINAE. 



Hind femora in both sexes with a mid-ventral row of spines, 



large and strong in the female but often reduced to low knobs 



in the male; male cerci broadly spatulate; insects of very large 



size Megaphasma Caud. 



Hind femora with but a single, subapical, ventral spine, or with 



but two small spines ; male cerci not at all spatulate ; slender 



insects of small or moderate size. 



Hind femora of both sexes armed beneath with a subapical 

 spine, prominent in the male, often minute or wanting in the 

 female Diapheromera Gray. 



Hind femora with no subapical spine beneath in either sex 



Manomera Rehn and Hebard. 



The genus Megaphasma Caud. is, so far as now known, rep- 

 resented by a single species, dcnticrus Stal, the largest of 

 our North American walking sticks and may readily be dis- 

 tinguished from any others within our area by the characters 

 given in the key. The female has the mid-ventral row of 

 spines on both middle and hind femora strong and distinct, 

 while in the male these spines on both the middle and hind 

 femora are all variable in size, save the prominent subapical 

 spine. The ventral margins of both middle and hind femora 

 are variably serrate. This species, heretofore considered as 

 belonging to the area of the Gulf States, is not uncom- 

 mon in the Ozark region and gradually scarcer to the north- 

 ward. The most northern points at which we have taken this 



