MORGAN HEBARD 127 



Saussure's genus. ^ As a result Paraceratinoptei'a is an absolute 

 synonym of Ceratinoptera. 



Generic Position 



The present genus is a member of the group Blattellites, in 

 linear position best placed at the beginning of the genera having 

 the tegminal discoidal sectors oblique. It is widely separated 

 from the other genera of the group, not only by the very heavy 

 femora, but also by the absence of arolia between the tarsal 

 claws. The armament of the ventro-cephalic margin of the 

 cephalic femora agrees best, among the described genera, with 

 Mareta. The nearest general resemblance in femoral form and 

 armament of piliform (but not the distal) spines is, however, 

 found in the widely separated genus Pledoptera. 



The features of greatest generic importance are found in the 

 short heavy maxillary palpi; the very narrow and scarcely opaque 

 deflexed lateral margins of the pronotum; the corneous tegmina, 

 which, when elongate and overlapping, have the dextral con- 

 cealed area as colorless as the wings, and the short heavy and 

 weakly spined limbs, with armament of ventro-cephalic mar- 

 gin of cephalic femora unusual in the group, and arolia absent 

 between the tarsal claws. 



Generic Description 

 Size small, form compact and rather stout for the Blattelhtes. Head evenly 

 convex without flattening between or below the eyes; ocellar spots weakly 

 indicated or distinct meso-dorsad of antennal sockets, or entirely absent ; maxil- 

 lary palpi short and stout, with distal joint much enlarged and decidedly longer 

 than penultimate joint; lateral margins of face weakly convexo-convergent to 

 bases of jaws. Pronotum ample; evenly convex, this decided only at the very 

 narrow deflexed latei-al margins which are rather broadly rounded; caudal 

 margin truncate, transverse or very faintly convex. Tegmina fully developed, 

 decidedly reduced or greatly reduced and truncate distad; moderately corneous 

 to corneous, with veins not pronounced to very weakly indicated. In the 

 fully developed tegminal condition, the area of the dextral tegmon concealed 

 when at rest, is conspicuous in being colorless and as transparent as the wing. 

 In conditions where the discoidal sectors of the tegmen are not eliminated by 



' Material before us, referable with certainty to the genotypes of both Cera- 

 tinoptera and Paraceralinoplera, clearly demonstrates these facts. Many 

 important features were omitted in the description of picta; though the original 

 description of nahua is incomplete, the genus and species was later much more 

 fully discussed and figured by Saussure, Miss. Sci. Max., Rech. ZooL, vi, p. 87, 

 pi. I, fig. 30a, pi. II, figs. 47, 47a, (1870). 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC, XLII. 



