4 NORTH AMERICAN BLATTIDAE 



vertex to the apex of the subgenital plate. The tegminal length, 

 unless otherwise stated, is taken from its base, a brief distance 

 beneath the pronotum, to its apex. 



The color terms used are taken from Ridgway's "Color Stand- 

 ards and Nomenclature." 



We have not been able to obtain sufficient females bearing oothe- 

 cae, to determine the real significance of the position in which 

 these egg sacks are carried. Shelford has indicated that, whether 

 the ootheca is carried with suture dorsad or laterad might afford 

 a character in determining the relationship of many forms. ^ We 

 are extremely sceptical on this point, as females before us of Par- 

 coblatta pensylvanica have the ootheca with suture both dorsad 

 and laterad, while an example of Cariblatta punctulata has the 

 ootheca with suture dorsad and one of the closely related Cari- 

 blatta lutea minima has the suture laterad. It is possible that, in 

 at least some forms, the ootheca first appears with suture dorsad 

 and is gradually turned until, when fully extruded, it is carried 

 with suture laterad. Studies of living material will be necessary 

 to solve this problem. 



Future Field Work Required 



The forms upon which future field work should throw addi- 

 tional light, are: 



Ischnoptera rufa occidentalis. To determine whether this insect 

 Is an established adventive on the Gulf Coast from New Orleans 

 to the Mexican boundary, and to ascertain more about its dis- 

 tribution in Mexico. 



Pycnoscelus surinamensis . To find if this insect is parthenogen- 

 •etic in America; nearly four hundred females have been recorded 

 from this continent, but no males. 



Compsodes schwarzi. The female sex is unknown. 



In the Mexican species of the Polyphagites, material to prove 

 the synonymy under Ilomoeogamia mexicana, into which will 

 probably fall guttipennis, aequalis and azteca; additional material 

 from different portions of the range of Arenivaga rehni, to deter- 

 mine the significance of the tremendous variation found in that 



* Trans. Ent. Soc. London, 1906, p. 235, (1906). 



