MORGAN HEBARD 63 



Ischnoptera deropeltiformis fBrunner) (Plate II, figs. 10 to 15.) 



1865. T[emnopteryx] deropellijormis Brunner, Xouv. Syst. Blatt., p. 87. [cf, 9 



North America.] 

 1868. Ischnoptera nigricollis Walker, Cat. Blatt. Br. Mus., p. 118. [cf , Georgia.] 

 1903. Ischnoptera johnsoni Rehn, Ent. News, xiv, p. 234. [d", St. Augustine, 



Florida.] 

 1903. Ischnoptera intricata Blatchley, Orth. of Indiana, p. 186. (In part.) [cf, 



Crawford Count>-, Indiana.] 



The extensive series now l^efore us establishes beyond question 

 the above synonymy. Both ?iigricollis and johnsoni were Ijased 

 on males of a rather small condition having unusually pale teg- 

 mina, which we find occurs only from southern Georgia to south- 

 central peninsular Florida. The constancy of these differences 

 over that area would suggest the presence of a geographic race, 

 but even there rare exceptions occur and other series before us 

 show that the size variation is decided, sometimes apparently due 

 to geographic and sometimes evidently to individual variation, 

 while occasional specimens are found having the tegmina paler 

 than normal. This \-ariant. occurring as the usual development 

 over certain areas, is in many ways comparable with the black 

 variant found in the grasshopper, Romalea microptera.^^ Such 

 differentiation is almost certainly due to a response to conditions 

 of local environment and probably is in no way a fixed hereditary 

 feature, the differences in environment at certain localities bring- 

 ing about such differences to varying degrees in a series from the 

 same locality. We are strongly opposed to nominal designation 

 of such chromatomorjjhs, but, if that course was pursued, a name 

 of higher significance than "variety" or "color variant" could not 

 be assigned without absolute error. 



Unfortunately Rehn and Hebard described as the female of 

 johnsoni, that sex of Parcoblatta nhleriana ,'^'' and in conseciucnce 

 placed intricata^*' of Blatchle\' incorrect]}^ undur joJinsoni. 



*^ See Rehn and Hebard, Proc. Acad., Xat. Sci. Phila., 1916, p. 194, (1916). 

 ^ All records of females of /. johnsoni in the literature are properly referable to P. 

 uhleriana. 



*^ This name was also primarily based on females of P. uhleriana. 



MEM. AM. ENT. SOC, 2. 



