1920.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 53 



representing a group within the genus of more recent common 

 ancestry. To this same group belongs Hierodula ohiensis, described 

 in the present paper. Here we have two species with costal margins 

 of tegmina smooth and one (sorongana) with these margins dis- 

 tinctly serrulate. Again Hierodula venosa (Olivier) and Hierodula 

 vitrea (StoU) are referable to another similar group, though venosa 

 has the costal margins of the tegmina smooth, vitrea showing these 

 margins varying individually from very weakly to distinctly serru- 

 late, as has been noted by Giglio-Tos. In this latter species we 

 further see that the degree of serrulation of the tegminal margins 

 is variable, even within a species unit. 



In the majority of cases the Asiatic and Malayan forms have 

 the tegmina with costal margins smooth, the Papuan and Australian 

 forms having these margins serrulate, ^^ but this interesting feature, 

 probably phj^siologic as we have stated, is by no means as absolute 

 as one would infer from superficially considering Giglio-Tos' state- 

 ments. Though these groups are geographically defined by Giglio- 

 Tos, using Wallace's Line, examination of his specific assignments 

 shows that six species referred to Hierodula (sensu stridiore of Giglio- 

 Tos), considered by him to be an Oriental genus, occur only in the 

 Australasian regions; five species referred by Giglio-Tos to his 

 Parkierodula, which he considered to be a Papuan and Australian 

 genus, occur only in the Asiatic and Oriental regions, while one 

 species of each of his divisions occurs on both sides of Wallace's 

 line. 



The genus Hierodula is exceedingly large, but already a number 

 of the species have been separated by Giglio-Tos into distinct and 

 apparently valid genera: Alalomantis, Hierodulella, Pnigoynantis, 

 Ephierodula, Camelotnantis and Tisma. It will probably also be 

 found necessary to separate Hierodula tamolana (Brancsik) and its 

 allies in a distinct genus. At present sufficient material is wanting 

 for proper and definite comparative analysis and assignment of 

 these. 



HIERODULA Burmeister. 



1838. Hierodula Burmeister, Handb. Ent., II, Abth. II, pt. I, p. 536. 

 1912. Parhierodula Giglio-Tos, Bull. Mus. Soc. Ent. Italiana, XLIII, p. 108. 



^^ Giglio-Tos takes this to mean that two distinct sources are represented, 

 one Asiatic, the other Australasian. The probability is, in our opinion, that 

 the Asiatic phylum is the original source, the other a derivative from it. This 

 opinion is strengthened by the realization that the forms with tegminal margins 

 serrulate reach much their greatest numerical abundance in Papua and in few 

 cases is their distribution extended to Australia, while none are known peculiar 

 to that continent. 



