1913.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 285 



The Genus COPTOPTEEYX. 



In studying the material in the present collection belonging to the 

 genus Coptopteryx, we have found it necessary to make a preliminary 

 revision of the genus, examining all the available material belonging 

 to the same. From the present series, the Academy Collection and 

 the Hebard Collection we have assembled fifty specimens, and from a 

 careful study of this series it is evident that considerable confusion 

 has existed in all previous work on the genus, including that by the 

 present author. A large portion of this confusion is directly traceable 

 to Saussure's error in using Blanchard's name crenaticoUis for a 

 species distinct from that author's gayi, when, as shown by the 

 present material, they are clearly sexes of the same species. 



It is evident from our material that almost all of the species'* of 

 the genus show very considerable size variation, that venational 

 characters are very unreliable, and also that green phases with hyaline 

 tegmina and wings in the male, and brown phases with infumate or 

 infuscate tegmina and wings in the same sex probabl}^ will be found 

 in the same species, although we have little conclusive evidence 

 regarding the color phases. 



The following key has been constructed from the material before 

 us and we trust it will be found serviceable. 



Males. 



a. — Size medium to large. Shaft of pronotum not strongly con- 

 stricted mesad. Width of head contained at least two and 

 one-half times in the length of pronotum. 

 b. — Size large (body 56.5-79 mm.; pronotum 15-21.2). 



c. — Greatest width of the pronotum contained not more than 

 three and one-half times in the length of the same, 

 d. — Wing narrower, the breadth contained more than 



twice in the length argentina (Burmeister). 



dd.— Wing broader, the breadth contained less than twice 



in the length claraziana Saussure. 



cc. — Greatest width of the pronotum contained at least four 



times in the length of the same thoracica n. sp. 



bb. — Size medium (body 43.5-54 mm.; pronotum 11.3-14.8), 



gayi (Blanchard). 



aa. — Size small. Shaft of pronotum strongly constricted mesad. 



Width of head contained less than twice ' in the length of 



. pronotum constrida n. sp. 



* The species Mantis gymnopyga Burmeister and Mantis grisea Philippi, which 

 have been questionably referred to this genus, do not appear to belong here. 

 Phihppi's grisea is clearly a nymph of another genus as suggested by Saussure. 



