354 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 117 



The male aedeagus consists of a basal sclerite, a pair of parameres 

 (the lateral lobes of Blaisdell), which are often fused to form a single 

 piece, and a penis (the median lobe of Blaisdell) bearing more or less 

 prominent struts at the proximal end. In the event that the para- 

 meres are fused, the resultant structure is referred to in this paper 

 as the apical sclerite. 



The female genitalia, on the other hand, are so similar to one 

 another as to be practically useless as taxonomic characters. The 

 ovipositor is almost entirely membranous and is always provided 

 with an apico-lateral pair of 1-segmented styli, each bearing terminal 

 sensory setae. Only in the genus Diaperis (pi. 1, fig. 6) is there 

 a radical departure from the conventional form illustrated by Apsida 

 (pi. 6, fig. 49). 



Techniques. — Genitalia were extracted and prepared for study in 

 the usual manner. Dried specimens were first relaxed in hot water, 

 the elytra spread from above and the contents of the abdomen 

 scooped out along with the dorsal membrane with jeweler's forceps. It 

 was found that this method of extraction left the specimens so un- 

 altered that it would be difficult to detect they had been disturbed in 

 any way. In some instances it was found expedient to remove the 

 entire abdomen; in such cases it was usually possible to reattach the 

 abdomen, leaving the specimen relatively intact. 



After removal, the mass of tissue containing the genitalia was 

 placed in a plant industry watch glass containing a 10 percent 

 solution of potassium hydroxide warmed over a desk lamp until the 

 muscular tissue was largely decomposed. 



Several stains (mercurochrome and eosin red) were tried as a 

 means of obtaining contrast in the unsclerotized portions of gen- 

 italia, but since these tended to obscure more characters than they 

 intensified, the stains were abandoned altogether. 



The cleared, unstained genitalia were placed in a drop of glycerine 

 on a glass slide or watch glass, oriented and drawn by means of an 

 ocular micrometer grid disc in a binocular microscope, using co- 

 ordinant paper to insure accuracy. The outlme was transferred to a 

 2-ply "Strathmore" drawmg board and inked. Details were filled in 

 by a compound microscope using reflected light. 



In the drawings themselves, intensity of sclerotization is indicated 

 by stippling, heavily sclerotized portions being entirely black and 

 membranous areas left white. 



The figures of the adult beetles were drawn on number Iji and num- 

 ber 2 pebble-grained "Rossboard," using the ocular micrometer grid 

 and coordinant paper essentially as described under genitalia drawings. 



The photographs on plate 7 were taken with an Exacta camera 



