212 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.45. 



merely an incidental variation. I can not do otherwise than con- 

 sider aspidioti valid. Its original description was in this manner: 



Female. — Length, about 0.50 mm. Lemon or golden yellow; head faintly dusky 

 above; apical half of antennal club, anterior half of mesonotum, and a broad trans- 

 verse band at base of abdomen, including nearly half its length, dark brown; wings 

 with a broad fuscous band, as in previous species. 



Type.— Cat. No. 4S59, U.S.N.M. 



Habitat. — Mexico: San Louis. 



Host. — Rhynch. : Aspidiotus nerii Bouche. [=hederse Vail.] Bred November, 

 1894, by Tyler Townsend. 



Besides the type specimen, I found another female specimen of it 

 in the collections of the United States National Museum labeled 

 <'470°2_ Bred from Aspidiotus nerii [ = liederse'Y&\\.'\, San Luis, Mex., 

 November, '94." This specimen is evidently an original one. I 

 have labeled it as a Jiomotype. The antennal club in aspidioti is more 

 clavate and longer than that of coquilletti apparently. The smgle type 

 female is labeled as the specimen just noted and, additionally, "4859," 

 the type number. 



13. SIGNIPHORA TOWNSENDI Ashmead. 

 Signiphora townsendi AshmeaI), 1900, pp. 409, 412. 

 The original description of this insect is as follows: 



Female. — Length, about 0.45 mm. Mostly dark brown; a broad band between the 

 wings including the hind margin of the mesonotum, scutellum, and metathorax, and 

 the apical third of abdomen, or less, lemon yellow. Wings hyaline, as in previous 

 species, but the fuscous band has a deep median hyaline emargination on its basal 

 margin. Antennae and legs pale yellowish, the club rather short, about one-third 

 shorter than in the other species. 



Type.— Cat. No. 4856, U.S.N.M. 



Habitat. — Mexico: Tabasco. 



Host. — Rhynch.: Aleyrodes sp. on a coarse grass. Bred by Tyler Townsend, June 

 19, 1897. Four specimens. 



Wlien examining the type of this species I had first thought that 

 it must be synonymic with coquilletti, or else Jlavopalliata; it agrees with 

 the former structurally, but differs from the latter in lacking the discal 

 bristle. Colorationally, it differs from coquilletti in that the yellow of 

 the body is lemon yellow, not orange yellow; or, in other words, 

 Hghter in shade; also there is much more brown or dark brown pres- 

 ent. A structural difference is present, too, in that the curve made 

 by the inner margin of the stigmal vein is deeper and somewhat 

 narrower in townsendi than in coquilletti and the marginal vein at the 

 proximal end of the curve is distinctly broader and obtuse, not nar- 

 rower and acute at the bristle there as in coquilletti. This appears to 

 be characteristic, but I am uncertain whether it is real or not. 



The following specimens: The four type females on a single slide 

 labeled "7841°.^ Par: on Aleyrodes on coarse grass, Tabasco, Mex. 



I The original note gives the type locality as Sangrillo del Cblco Sapote, Tabasco, Mexico.— J. C. 

 Ceawford. 



