1897.J THE SPECIES OF THE GENUS MELANOPLUS. 15 



breadth equal to or surpassing the length of its lateral mar- 

 gin (Alleni series). 

 /\ Tegmina twice as long as pronotum ; cerci of male 

 relatively long and narrow, fully three times as long as 



broad alleni. 



f'\ Tegmina of about the length of the pronotum ; 

 cerci of male broad and relatively short, not more than 



twice as long as broad snowii. 



d'\ Interspace between mesosternal lobes of male nearly or 

 quite twice, sometimes more than twice, as long as broad ; 

 metasternal lobes of male attingent or subattingent. 



e^. Subgenital plate of male short and broad, its apical 

 breadth equal to or surpassing the length of its lateral 

 margin fTexanus series). 

 /\ Tegmina widely separated, lateral ; interspace be- 

 tween mesosternal lobes of male more than twice as 

 long as broad ; furcula consisting of a pair of excep- 

 tionally broad and short plates dumicola. 



/^ Tegmina subattingent, attingent or overlapping ; in- 

 terspace between mesosternal lobes of male less, generally 

 much less, than twice as long as broad ; furcula consist- 

 ing of a pair of approximate pointed denticulations. 

 g^. Subgenital plate of male ending in a conical 



tubercle variabilis. 



g"^. Subgenital plate of male with no pointed tubercle. 

 h}. Lobes of furcula longer than broad ; extremity 

 of subgenital plate of male elevated, but not notice- 

 ably recurved ; interspace between mesosternal 

 lobes of male hardly more than half as long again 

 as broad. 



/\ Apex of male cerci angulate below. . .lepidus. 

 i'\ Apex of male cerci equally rounded above 



and below blatchleyi. 



h"^. Lobes of furcula broader than long ; extremity 

 of subgenital plate of male elevated and consider- 

 ably recurved ; interspace between mesosternal 

 lobes of male nearly or quite twice as long as 



broad texanus. 



e\ Subgenital plate of male distinctly narrower than long, 

 often narrowing apically (Plebejus series). 



