MORGAN HEBARD 25 



Were more than a small portion of the species of this group con- 

 spicuously marked, this would not be so imperative, but in the 

 present group widely separated species of plain coloration often 

 bear to each other an astonishing similarity in superficial appear- 

 ance. 



The enormous number of species and complexity of develop- 

 ment makes generic differentiation most difficult in the present 

 group. No single major feature may safely be used for this pur- 

 pose, but the sum total of important characters found in groups 

 of species should be employed ; this of course being the only safe 

 method in any systematic study. That Shelford's generic dis- 

 cussion and erection of five new genera in the present group was 

 hastily done, and far too superficial, is evident.-^ 



Of the numerous genera which should properly be referred to 

 the Blattellites, nine valid genera are known from the New World; 

 of these Blattella and Supella are cosmopolitan, -^ Ceratinoptera, 

 Dendrohlatta and Neoblattella are tropical American, never occur- 

 ring native in the United States, while members of the genera 

 Eiithlastoblatta, Aglaopteryx, Latiblattella and Cariblatta are nati\-e 

 in the United States. W^e do not believe Liosilpha to be a mem- 

 ber of the present group, the type of which genus, pumicata of 

 Stal, was described from Brazil. So aberrant is Ceratinoptera that 

 it may be separated from this group when further study has been 

 accomplished. 



The described genera apparently in\olved, or which have been 

 referred to the present complex, we list below. 



Genotype. Habitat of Genotype. Generic Position. 

 1865. Ceratinoptera 



Brunner picta Brunner Tropical America Group Blattellites 



1868. Paraceratinoptera 

 Saussure 

 (Synonymized under Ceratinoptera by Hebard.) 



-"^ Ent. Monthly Mag., 2d sen, xxii, p. 1^4, (1911). 



25 The first is generally distributed throughout the tropics and temperate regions, the 

 second only throughout the tropics. A single species of each genus is known from the 

 New World, in each case being domiciliary. 



MEM. AM. ent. SOC, 2. 



