Hlxgekfurd; Xki'ii).!-: im Amerra. 427 



Palisofs species, he described a small, compactly built insect with 

 \ei'v broad front femora, as Ranatra kirkaldyi. 



Dr. A. L. Montandon (Bui. Soc. Sci. Bucharest, XIX, 1910) con- 

 siders Ranatra kirkaldyi Bueno a synonym of Ranatra fusca P. B., 

 and concludes that Ranatra nigra H. S. is a good species, although 

 he has seen no American specimen that fits the description. Van 

 Duzee follows Montandon. 



In a recent issue of the Entomological News (vol. XXXII, p. 

 273, 1921), under the title "New Records of Aquatic Hemiptera for 

 the United States with Description of New Species," Mr. Torre 

 Bueno again defends his Ranatra kirkaldyi and comments on Ra- 

 luitra fusca P. B., describing it so closely that there can be no mis- 

 taking the insect, and stating that there is a specimen of this species 

 in the United States National Museum labeled Ranatra fusca P. B., 

 by Doctor Montandon. This statement is indeed true. 



Through the kindness of Dr. L. O. Howard, Doctor Aldrich and 

 W. L. McAtee; the writer had the pleasure of spending some time at 

 the United States National Museum studying the aquatic Hemip- 

 tera. He had the opportunity, therefore, of examining the material 

 determined by Doctor Montandon, as well as the types of Ranatra 

 protema Montd., Ranatra brevicollis Montd. and Curicta hoivai'dii 

 Montd. He found two distinct species identified by Doctor Mon- 

 tandon as R. fusca P. B. One of them is Bueno's Ranatra fusca; 

 the other, cjuite a different species, but not Bueno's R. kirkaldyi. 



After examining much material in the family Nepidse, and very 

 carefully studying and weighing original descriptions and compara- 

 tive notes, the writer has been forced, in spite of his reluctance, to 

 a new interpretation of the old species. The facts which led to the 

 change in nomenclature are presented under the species concerned. 

 All the species are figured in such detail that there need be no ques- 

 tion or uncertainty as to designation, and these studies should aid 

 in arriving at a solution of the matters in controversy. 



Tlie family Nepidse is represented in America, north of Mexico, 

 by three genera, Nepa, Curicta and Ranatra, which may be sepa- 

 rated as follows: 



A. Body broadly oval and flat. Nepa. 



AA. Body elongate. 



B. Prothorax a little broader than head, body elongate oval. 



Curicta, 



BB. Prothorax narrower than head, body ver>^ elongate. Ranatra. 



Genus Sepa, see p. 428; genus Curicata, see p. 429; genus Ranatra. see p. 433. 



