MORGAN HEBARD 



47 



and succeeding segments transversely constricted. Subgenital 

 plate of male fusing and specialized with styles. Subgenital plate 

 of female not strongly produced. Limbs extremely slender. Ceph- 

 alic femora with \entro-cephalic margin armed with a row of 

 moderately long and rather stout spines, which gradually decrease 

 in length, with distal series short, terminated by two distal spines 

 elongate in increasing ratio. \'entro-caudal margin of cephalic 

 femora unarmed, ventral margins of other femora armed with 

 occasional, irregularly placed, elongate spines. First three tarsal 

 joints very elongate, with minute distal pulvilli, fourth joint sub- 

 quadrate with distal half of brief ventral surface occupied by a 

 pulvillus. Small arolia present. 

 Supella supellectilium (Serville) (Plate I, figures 24 to 27.) 



1839. Blatta supellectilium Serville, Hist. Nat. Ins., Orth., p. 114. [&, 9 ; Mau- 

 ritius.] 



Shelford has established the following synonymy for the present 

 species; Blatta ciibensis, capensis and phalerata of Saussure; Blatta 

 incisa, extenuata, subfasciata, transver salts, figurata and Ischnoptera 

 quadriplaga of Walker, and Phyllodromia delta of Kirby. 



The striking color variation, due entirely to decided intensifica- 

 tion and recession, has in part been the cause of the synonymy 

 given above. Though in certain regions distinct types would at 

 first glance seem to exist, further examination shows that such 

 distinction would be untenable, individuals in large series from 

 the same locality always showing an extremely wide range in inten- 

 sive and recessive coloration.''" The dissimilarity of the sexes is 

 striking. 



Characters of Male. — (Key West, Florida.) Size medium small, form e.xtremely 

 slender. Head elongate; interocular space distinctK' narrower than the broad 

 eyes; very small ocellar areas ample and perpendicular to flattened inter-ocular- 

 ocellar area; slightly raised, circular areas present meso-ventrad of, and adjacent 

 to, antennal sockets; face, below transverse \entral margin of inter-ocular-ocellar 



^^ Egyptian and South African material before us shows the great variability in the 

 degree of coloration in the present species. The Egyptian examples are very pale, with 

 darker markings weakly defined. The South African specimens are brilliantly colored, 

 with dark markings sharply defined and often with a pale mesal spot on the pronotum; 

 these further show a greater size development than in any other series before us. Noth- 

 ing warranting geographic racial distinction is to be found. 



MEM. AM. EXT. SOC, 2. 



