Feb., 1904.] Note on Alate Form of Phylloscelis. 



93 



NOTE ON ALATE FORM OF PHYLLOSCELIS.* 



Herbert Osborn. 



The genus Phylloscelis was established in 1839 by Germar to 

 contain the American species atra and pallescens. 



One of the generic characters of this genus has been the absence 

 of wings. Stal using this in his key (Hemip. Africana, IV, p. 

 151) to separate the genus from other genera of Dictyopharida. 

 Partly owing to lack of knowledge of wing structure the genus 

 has been difficult to place, and some authors have included it in 

 the Caloscelinae because of the foliaceous anterior legs, others 

 including it in Dict3'opharinae on elytral characters, etc., not- 

 withstanding the absence of the 

 projecting vertex. 



No one seems to have de- 

 scribed the alate form and it 

 was therefore with much inter- 

 est that I discovered a short 

 time ago an individual with 

 fully developed wings in the 

 collection of Mr. Dury, of Cin- 

 cinnati. The specimen, indeed, 

 differs so much in general ap- 

 pearance from the ordinary 

 apterous individual that its rela- 

 tion to Ph3dloscelis atra was not 

 at first suspected. 



The main difference lies, how- 

 ever, in the larger development 

 of the eh'tra and the presence 

 of perfect wings. The elytra 

 are elongate, oval, thick and 

 black to apex, the venation 

 essentially like the apterous 

 form. The wings are nearly as- 

 long as elytra, broadly rounded, 

 the anal area without reticula- 

 tion and the venation of Dicty- 

 opharid pattern. Based on 

 venation, therefore, it becomes possible to definitely refer the 

 genus to the subfamily Dictyopharidae. Whether this character 

 should have greater weight than the dilation of tibiae may be 

 an open question. Usually, however, venational characters are 

 counted of special value. 



•■■Read at the November meeting of Ohio State Academy of Science. 



Fig. I. Phylloscelis atra. a, elytron 

 of apterous form; b, elytron of macrop- 

 terous lorm; r, wing. 



