McAtee — Genera of the Eupterygidae. Ill 



color is modified or obscured by its covering. The plaques flake 

 off naturally, stages in the process being easily found, and they 

 may be removed readily with a needle. 



The venational characters by which the Eupterygidae are 

 distinguished from other Jassoidea result from simplifica- 

 tion. That this reduction in wing veins is specialization is the 

 belief of Hansen, Kirkaldy, and Metcalf, and if so accepted 

 gives the Eupterygidae an advanced position among the Jass- 

 oidea of the world, and the most advanced among the groups 

 inhabiting the United States. In this case at least being special- 

 ized does not mean having comparatively fixed characters. On 

 the contrary the Eupterygidae are truly protean and now evi- 

 dently in active evolution. From the synopsis of genera (page 

 122) it will be seen that practically all the possible combinations 

 of the principal venational characters of the family are realized 

 in the genera now known. The venation usually is variable in 

 details, and as for range and variation in color there seems to 

 be no limit. The total number of species in the group, a great 

 share of which await discovery and description, no doubt is 

 extremely large. 



Genera Proposed for Eupterygidae and Their Type Species. 



1833, January. EUPTERYX. Curtis, John. Characters of some 

 undescrihed Genera and Species indicated in the ' ' Guide to an 

 Arrangement of British Insects." The Entomological Magazine, 

 1, No. 2, Jan., 1833, p. 192. 



Curtis here describes as new the species hortensis and remarks: "the 

 type of our genus C. picta Fab." Curtis may not have had in mind the 

 reasons for designating a type species that we now recognize as so impor- 

 tant, but certain it is that the action he took must be recognized as a 

 definite type selection. The species he mentions Cicada picta Fabricius* 

 is considered a synonym of C. atropunctata Goeze.t 



Eupteryx atropunctata Goeze therefore is the genotype by original 

 designation of its synonym. 



Emendation : Eupterix. Fieber, F. X. Neue gattungen und arten in 

 Homoptern (Cicadina Bur. ). Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Koniglichen 

 Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien. 16, 1866, p. 509. 



* Fabricius. J. C Systema Rhyngotorum secundum Ordines, Genera, Species, adiec- 

 tus, Synonymis, Locis, Observationibus, Descriptionibus, 1803, No. 75, p. 77. 



t Goeze, J. A. E. Entomologische Beytrage zu des Ritter Linne zwolften Ausgabe 

 des Natursystems. II, 1778, pp. 161-2. Based on Cicada viridi-flava. elytris punctis 

 tribus nigris apice fuscis. Geoflroy, E, L. Histoire abregee des Insectes, etc., 1,1762, 

 p. 426. 



