150 NORTH AMERICAN BLATTIDAE 



tudinal discoidal sectors of the tegmina, strikingly bifurcate dis- 

 coidal vein of both tegmina and wings, type A armament of 

 ventro-cephalic margins of cephalic femora and differently spe- 

 cialized dorsal abdominal segments and styles in males. 



Five species in addition to the genotype are known, all of which 

 are confined in distribution to the West Indies except the species 

 here considered. 



Genotype, by original designation: Symploce capitata {Isch- 

 noptera capitata) (Saussure). 



Generic Description. — Pronotum much as in Ischuoptera, except 

 that the disk is smooth and evenly convex without sulci, and the 

 caudal margin is weakly obtuse-angulate produced with broadly 

 rounded apex mesad. Tegmina and wings fully developed. -^^ 

 Tegmina with discoidal sectors (these including branch of dis- 

 coidal vein, median and ulnar veins and their branches; the ulnar 

 vein normally showing more branches than the median vein) longi- 

 tudinal. Wings with area between discoidal vein and anterior 

 margin moderately narrow, slightly broader than in Ischuoptera, 

 the width greatest a little distad of the mesal point. Mediastine 

 vein extending slightly more than half the distance to the apex of 

 the wing, from which vein spring a number of the costal veins; 

 none of the costal veins enlarged. Discoidal vein dividing mesad, 

 the two portions equally decided and showing only inconspicuous 

 distal furcations; a number of weak, well-spaced, nearly perpen- 

 dicular veinlets connect this vein with the median vein. Ulnar 

 vein weakly curved, with few (one to three) incomplete proximal 

 rami and more (four to five) distal rami extending to the margin of 

 the wing. Intercalated triangle small. Median segment of males 

 specialized.-^*' When other specialization of the dorsal abdominal 

 segments occurs in males, this is confined to the sixth and eighth 

 segments; no appendages occur as in Ischuoptera. Male sub- 

 genital plate asymmetrical, with variously highly specialized styles. 

 Cephalic femora with ventro-cephalic margins armed with rather 

 heavy elongate spines, which decrease gradually in length meso- 

 distad and are terminated distad by three longer (in increasing 



2''^ Except in the female of lita. 

 2^" Except in lita. 



