MORGAN HEBARD 151 



the subgenital plate, which appear to be of diagnostic value. 

 The Hmbs and armament of the same are not variable and agree 

 in all the species. 



Color Characters. — In the species of the genus, the coloration 

 is decidedly constant, minor differences are found due wholly to 

 recession and intensification (in punctulata alone such differences 

 being in some series very decided). The head markings, though 

 showing a similar type in many species, show features of real 

 diagnostic importance in several and of marked distinction in 

 two, craticula and insularis. This is likewise true for the pro- 

 notal markings, the most distinctive species in this respect being 

 reticulosa. The tegmina and wings show very slight differences 

 for the majority of species, but in two, punctipennis and insularis, 

 show striking features of excellent diagnostic value. The mark- 

 ings of the ventral surface of the abdomen are also diagnostically 

 useful in some species, but recession and intensification appears 

 to be particularly marked in these features and in consequence, 

 in several species normally well marked, these markings are 

 occasionally found unusually pronounced or entirely absent. 



Tegminal Venation. — The number of longitudinal discoida! 

 sectors is, in the normal fully developed condition (under lutea 

 are discussed the various differences there found, due to reduction 

 in tegmina and wings), normally five^ in the majority of the 

 species; variation sometimes occurs and we have examples of 

 punctulata showing but four of these sectors, while the few exam- 

 ples of punctipennis show five, six or seven and insularis shows 

 the same range, the number being less often five than otherwise. 



Wing Venation. — The wings show few and usually unimportant 

 specific diagnostic features. The degree of iridescence and 

 coloration of the veins and particularly of the distal cross veinlets 

 are of some importance in separating certain species and appear 

 to show little variation. The ulnar vein shows in the majority 

 of species normally two distinct rami, but in a number of species 

 as many as four rami occur, two of these usually being decidedly 



^ In NeoblaUella, the great majority of the species sliow more of these sectors. 

 In considerable series before us, we find in the species of the adsperdcollis 

 (genotype) complex an average of ten, in the detersn complex eight, while in 

 the complex showing nearest approach to the present genus we find brunmriana 

 with five to seven and fratercula six. As the number of veins increase, greater 

 variation in their number appears to occur. 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC, XLII. 



