210 The Ohio Journal of Science [Vol. XX, No. 6, 



Platycotis vittata Fabr. 



Fabricius, Syst. Rhyng., p. 20, 1803, Centrotus. 



Crescent City, Sevenoaks (Van Duzee), Lake City IV-9-93 

 (Station Collection), Gainesville III-18-18. This species is less 

 abundant than the color variety, qiiadrivittata, occurring on 

 oak shrubs. 



This species may be easily distinguished from all our other 

 species of membracids (except Umbonia and Lephopelta) by its 

 very short posterior tarsi. It usually has a long compressed 

 pronotal horn which varies greatly in length and may be entirely 

 absent. The wing venation shows considerable variation. Green 

 body color, mottled or speckled with orange. 



Technical Description. — Sea-green, mottled or speckled with 

 orange spots; a long, compressed porrect horn darker and sanguineous 

 at tip; the pronotal horn varies much in shape and length and may be 

 entirely absent; eyes bright red; tegmina hyaline, bases punctate and 

 marked with green and orange, veins fuscous. Very striking in shape 

 and coloration. Sexes similar in size and markings. 



Head, including eyes, over twice as broad as long, yellowish with 

 fuscous markings on upper margin adjoining the eyes; base sinuate; 

 eyes large, bright red, changing to brown in dried specimens; ocelli not 

 prominent, brown, nearer each other than to the eyes; clypeus tri- 

 angular, tip rounded, rugose, hirsute. 



Pronotum coarsely punctate, not pubescent; a dorsal median 

 impunctate line extending from the pronotal horn to the posterior 

 process; ground color sea-green, mottled with orange spots; metopidium 

 yellowish on the margin adjoining head, two transverse, polished, 

 fuscous callosities just beneath the furrow above which is a polished 

 interrupted yellowish-green ridge, two smaller, fuscous, impunctate 

 spots above this ridge and fuscous markings at base of pronotal horn; 

 humeral angles prominent, angular but blunt; a long, compressed por- 

 rect horn, greatly variable in shape and length and may be entirely 

 absent, tip sanguineous; posterior process gradually acute, slightly 

 decurved and extending beyond the abdomen, tip fuscous. 



Tegmina hyaline, base and costal region lightly punctate, marked 

 with green and orange, veins fuscous; under wings entirely hyaline. 

 Under surface of body yellow with slight greenish tinge. Legs yellow, 

 hirsute; tibiae marked with fuscous on outer side ; tarsi fuscous. 



Length 9 mm.; length including horn 13 mm.; width between 

 humeral angles 5 mm. 



