Vol. 31, pp. 109-124 November 29, 1918 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



GENERA OF THE EUPTERYGIDAE 

 (HOMOPTERA; JASSOIDEA). 



BY W. L. McATEE. 



The group of leaf-hoppers here called the Eupterygidae has 

 been treated variously by recent authors as a family, subfamily 

 or tribe. Some of the earliest writers included all the forms in 

 a single genus. Without going into the history of the group 

 names* that have been applied to the Eupterygidae, it may be 

 said that Kirkaldyf appears to have been the first to use a name 

 (Eupteryginae) based upon that of the oldest genus. 



It has been a very general practise to base family names on 

 the earliest available genus name and probably the only reason 

 it was not previously done for this group is that the question of 

 priority between two of the oldest genera (published in the same 

 year) was very generally disregarded. Kirkaldy realized the 

 situation, in part, but apparently did not know the whole 

 truth. Indeed the present paper contains more evidence as to 

 the exact dates of publication of these two names than has been 

 cited in any other discussion of the subject. 



Codes of nomenclature do not specify methods of selecting 

 family names and practise varies, although as above stated, 

 most of the names in current use are those based on the oldest 

 genera. The writer believes that this should be the rule, for 

 several reasons. First a definite method is needed and one in 

 accord with the majority of precedents has much to recommend 

 it. The fact that many of the family names have been selected 

 because they were the oldest as such, does not weaken the argu- 



*These can be learned by consulting Oshanin. Verzeichnis, 1908, p. 187, and Van 

 Duzee, Catalogue, 1917, p. 698. References in full to these and other works mentioned 

 in the introduction are given on later pages. 



+ Bul. 1, Pt. 9. Exp. Sta. Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Asso. 1906, p. 356. 



31— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash.. Vol, 31, 1918. (109) 



