188 The Ohio Journal of Science [Vol. XVI, No. 5, 



Athysanus capicola vStal. (PL VII, Fig. 1). 



rhainnotettix capicola Stal Hem. Afr. IV. 123. (1866). 

 Athysanus capicola vStal. Ofv. Vet. Ak. Forh. 99. 2. (1S55). 



General color yellowish or dirty white. Length of male 

 5 mm., female 5.5 mm. Breadth 1.75 mm. 



Vertex rather short, not produced, whitish in color with a strong 

 black or brown transverse band across the middle ; prominent and run- 

 ning from eye to eye ; length of vertex about equal to one-half tiines the 

 width between the eyes; anterior margin of the head obtusely rounded, 

 the lateral margins sloping, slightly convex on disc with rather indis- 

 tinct striations. Eyes dull green, large. Ocelli located nearer the 

 eyes than to the middle, dilute red. Face strong, yellowish, with many 

 dark yellow transverse arcs on the frons; frons a little longer than its 

 breadth, much wider than the clypeus, and about two and a half times 

 as long. Cheeks and lorse lighter in color than the frons, the latter as 

 wide as the clypeus; clypeus produced, twice as long as its width, the 

 sides subparallel and the apex rounded; rostrum rather long. Pro- 

 notum dilute yellow with numerous small brown spots; an irregular row 

 of brownish spots on the anterior half arranged transversel}'' ; length of 

 pronotum greater than that of the vertex; width more than twice the 

 length. Scutellum yellow, not quite as long as the pronotum, trans- 

 versely striated at the apex. Elytra equaling the body in length, 

 overlapping at the tips; color yellow, the veins showing as brown lines. 

 Appendix strong. Abdomen above yellow, with small black spots on 

 the lateral margins of each segment; beneath yellowish in females, 

 brownish in males. Legs light yellow to whitish. Genitalia female: 

 last ventral segment more than twice as long as the penultimate, 

 notched at the middle, convex on the surface; pygofers long and slender, 

 about two and a half times as long as their width at base, and three 

 times as long as the last ventral segment ; ovipositor strong, longer than 

 the pygofers, sharp at the tip. Male: last ventral segment, a little 

 longer than the previous one, brownish black in color; valve a little 

 longer than the last ventral segtnent, plates narrow somewhat rounded 

 at the tip, about twice as long as the valve; pygofers not quite as long 

 as the plates. 



This jassid is by far one of the most common in Southern 

 Africa and has been taken in great numbers on grasses and 

 forage crops in the Eastern Province of Cape Colony. It is 

 undoubtedly of some economic importance, not only on account 

 of its numbers, but on account of its wide distribution through- 

 out the provinces. It exists under a variety of different 

 conditions, ranging from tropical, through subtropical to 

 temperate regions, judging from the fact that it has been 

 taken commonly in German East Africa, the Island of Mauri- 

 tius, Senegal, Natal and the southernmost portions of the Cape. 



