MORGAN HEBARD 201 



stout, rather short, proximal spines, succeeded by a closely-set row 

 of stout hairs, terminated by a single stout, rather short, distal 

 spine; other ventral femoral margins without spines except distad. 

 Meta-tarsi with \entral surface occupied by an elongate, linear 

 pulvillus, which is enlarged and rounded distad; succeeding three 

 tarsal joints with ventral surfaces occupied by large, rounded pul- 

 villi. Arolia absent. 



Specimens representing allied genera show individual variation 

 in presence or absence of proximal spines on the ventro-cephalic 

 margins of the cephalic femora, and of the occasional supplementary 

 distal spine of the ventro-caudal margins of the cephalic and median 

 femora and \entro-cephalic margins of the caudal femora. Care- 

 ful study of large series will be required, before it can be stated 

 whether the genus Blaberus, as at present understood, contains 

 two distinct generic units, or simply divides into two well-marked 

 sections, as indicated by Saussure and Zehntner. 



Blaberus craniifer Burmeister (Plate VIII, figures 6 and 7.) 



183S. Bl[ubera] craniijera Burmeister, Handb. Ent., ii, abth. ii, pt. i. p. 516. 



[Cuba.] 

 1839. Blahcra various Serxille, Hist. Nat. Ins., Orth., p. 78. (In part; 9.) [9, 



Cuba.] 

 1857. Blatta {Blabera) atropos Guerin (not Blatta atropos of Stoll, 1 813), in Sagra, 



Hist. Cuba., Anim. Artie, p. 333. [Havana, Cuba.] 



1864. Blabera atropos Saussure (not Blatta atropos of Stoll, 1813), Mem. Hist. 

 Nat. Mex., iv, p. 233. [o", 9 : Cuba; Hot coast of Mexico.] 



1888. B{labera) atropos Bolivar {not Blatta atropos of Stoll, 1813), Mem. Soc. Zool. 

 France, i. p. 133. ["Should be the most abundant species in Cuba."] 



The present species shows near relationship to B. atropos 

 (Stoll), ■■'-•' agreeing in the exceptionally dark general coloration of 



32" Blaberus atropos (Stoll) 

 1813. [Blatta] atropos Stoll, Natuur. Afbeeld. Beschryv., Kakkerlakken, p. 4, Register 

 p. 14, pi. Ild. fig. 8. (No locality given.) 



1865. Bl[abera] fusca Brunner, Nouv. Syst. Blatt., p. 376. [9, Chile.] 



1868. Blabera laticollis Walker, Cat. Blatt. Br. Mus., p. 5. [d", British Guiana.] 



Brunner, in 1865, applied the name atropos to B. discoidalis or an extremely closely 

 related species, and redescrihed the present insect as fusca. Walker's laticoUis is an 

 evident synon\'m, which name was placed under at'^opos (there, howe\er, incliidmg 

 craniifer) by Kirby in 1904. 



The most striking features of the s[)ecies arc given al)o\e. The concealed male geni- 

 talia are similar to those found in craniifer, but the surrounding soft median mantle has 

 the free margin fringed dextrad with heavier chitinous teeth, showing distinct uncination, 

 MEM. .\M. ENT. SOC, 2. 



