362 STUDIES IN THE ISCHNOPTERITES (oRTHOPTERa) 



to the present one a superficial resemblance, but belongs to an 

 Old World division of the Ischnopterites. 



The present species, which is abundant over the island of Cuba, 

 has since 1870 been frequently recorded as hlattoides and since 

 1904 as rufescens, both of those species being generally referred 

 to the genus Ischnoptera. The change in 1904 was due to Kirby's 

 incorrect placing in that year of capitata and hlattoides under 

 rufescens. 



Nearest relationship is found to S. morsel and S. flagellata, both 

 of which species, however, show distinctive and decidedly more spe- 

 cialized primary and secondary sexual features in the male. The 

 present insect is normally more reddish in general coloration and 

 the female is normally distinctly more robust than the male, repre- 

 senting the most robust condition found in the present genus. 



Very decided size, tegminal and wing variation occurs in capi- 

 tata; such variation, it is probable, will be found in other species 

 of the genus when more extensive series are available. 



Characters of cf . — (Havana, Cuba.) Size (in series) extremely variable, 

 medium small to large compared with the alhed species, averaging medium 

 large. Form moderately robust. Head with eyes large, not as large as in 

 S. lita, and well separated. Interocular space sUghtly narrower than intero- 

 cellar space. Ocelh small, with surfaces of ocellar areas slanting more weakly 

 to, and rounding more evenly into, the interocellar area than in lita. Prono- 

 tum moderately transverse, surface weakly convex and moderately declivent 

 laterad, with lateral margins cingulate; cephahc margin transverse, romiding 

 broadly at an obtuse angle into convex lateral margins, which are divergent 

 caudad and round broadly into the caudal margin, which is very weakly 

 produced, forming mesad a weak but distinct rounded angle. Tegmina and 

 wings as given in generic description; when reduction occurs this is foimd 

 to affect only the distal portions; structure of tegmina (normally) shghtly 

 more corneous than in the aUied species. Median segment bisulcate 

 proximo-mesad, in and about this area clothed with numerous long hairs, 

 and immediately caudad fm-nished with a large flat tuft of agglutinated 

 hairs directed cephalad. Succeeding dorsal abdominal segments to sixth 

 with latero-caudal angles each briefly acute-angulate produced caudad, and 

 with a small oval convexity laterad; sixth segment Httle specialized, moder- 

 ately depressed, with a weak medio-longitudinal carina; seventh segment 

 concealed; eighth segment mesad with free margin bearing a fringe of short 

 hairs, with free margin alone showing except latero-caudad, where the seg- 

 ment is produced in subtriangular, very deeply concave projections.^^ Supra- 

 anal plate slightly but not strikingly raised proximo-mesad; free margin 



" It is these projections which Saussure has described, mistaking them for 

 part of the penultimate ventral abdominal segment. M6m. Mex., Blatt., p. 

 114. 



