858 MESOZOIC INSECTS OF QUEENSLAND, vii., 



terior to tins furrow, or only of the clavus, or anal area, lying 

 posterior to it. This clavus is only a small part of the wing, 

 with nothing but the anal veins preserved upon it; and yet, as 

 we shall see in the course of this paper, every clavus discovered 

 by itself should be preserved and described, because there is on 

 the clavus, at least one character of great importance for the 

 correct classification of the fossil forms. 



The oldest known Homoptera are three forms from the Upper 

 Permian, viz. Scytinoptera kokeni Handl. (3, p. 392) from the 

 Kama River, Russia, Permoscarta mitchelli Till. (9, p. 728) 

 from Newcastle, N.S.W., and Permofulgor belmontensis Till. 

 (9, p. 731) from Belmont, near Newcastle, N.S.W, Handlirsch 

 places Scytinoptera in a distinct Order Palseohemiptera; but I 

 have already expressed my opinion that this is nothing more nor 

 less than a true Homopteron (10, p. 587). Permofulgor, as a 

 very distinct type unlike anything existing to-day, was put into 

 a new family Pernio fulgoridae. Permoscarta I placed in the 

 C 'ercopiclae ; but, on maturer consideration, I think it should be 

 removed to the Scytinopteridae. 



From the Upper Trias only two Homoptera are so far known. 

 One of these is Mesojassus ipsviciensis Till., already mentioned; 

 the other Triassopsylla plecioides Till. (9, p. 754) from the 

 Wianamatta Shale of Glenlee, N.S.W. 



Handlirsch lists no less than twenty-two species of Homoptera 

 from the Lias, and there are undoubtedly others from various 

 localities in England, which have not been properly described 

 as yet. The named species come from England, Switzerland and 

 Germany, the most prolific locality being Dobbertin in Mecklen- 

 burg, with seventeen species . They are placed as follows : — 

 Fulgoridae, 4 genera, 13 species; Procercopidae, 1 genus, 3 

 species; Jassidae, 1 genus, 5 species; Archipsyllidae, 1 genus, 1 

 species. 



Thus it will be seen that the Ipswich beds have already yielded 

 an Homopterous fauna as rich as any yet found in the Palaeo- 

 zoic or Mesozoic epochs; and it may reasonably be hoped that 

 many more may be discovered later on. That being so, it is of 

 especial importance that these fossils should be most carefully 

 studied, in the hopes that they may throw some light upon the 

 Phylogeny of the Homoptera. 



Here we meet with the initial difficulty that the classification 

 of the Homoptera is based for the most part upon characters 



