CICADELLINAE : PART I. PROCONIENI 185 



Male genitalia : Pygofer in lateral aspect very broad, with numerous 

 dispersed microsetae on posterior half and on ventral portion of basal 

 half, with or without processes. Plates separate throughout their length, 

 not extending as far posteriorly as pygofer apex, triangular, with 

 numerous dispersed microsetae and occasionally with interspersed 

 macrosetae. Style extending farther posteriorly than apex of connective, 

 usually with distinct preapical lobe, narrowly rounded, truncate, or 

 angulate, at apex. Connective Y-shaped with arms widely divergent, 

 each much longer than the short stem which has a median keel. 

 Aedeagus symmetrical or not, with basal ventral processes which are 

 branched or not. Paraphyses absent. 



Female abdominal sternum VII variable. 



Phera has a disjunct distribution, occurring in Texas, Mexico, Central 

 America, Venezuela, Colombia, and southeastern Brazil. It is closely 

 related to Homalodisca from which it may be distinguished by the pro- 

 epimeron which is depressed along its ventral margin, the non-de- 

 pressed portion being longer than breadth without the depression, 

 the entire proepimeron broader tlian long in Homalodisca. It is also 

 closely related to Pseudophera from which it may be distinguished by its 

 smaller size and the difference in the shape of the dilation of the met- 

 epimeron which is a thick rounded lobe in Pseudophera', projecting and 

 angular in Phera. 



No specimens of Capinota fowleri Melichar have been seen by me, 

 and the genus is placed in synonymy under P/iera solely on the basis of 

 the original description, which unquestionably applies to Phera and 

 possibly to the type-species of the latter. 



Phera centrolineata (Signoret) has been collected on lettuce in Hidalgo, 

 Texas, and on corn and potatoes in Antigua, Guatemala. An undeter- 

 mined species from Agave in El Salvador has been examined. 



There is a considerable amount of variation in color and in the male 

 genitalia of some of the species. Characters other than the male genitalia 

 have been found to be of greatest use in separating species. The male 

 genitalia of P. aterrima Fowler and P. lanei, new species, are identical. 

 P. unipunctata Evans is not included in the key ; judging from the original 

 description, it is very close to P. obtusifrons Fowler. The male lectotype 

 of Phera angustata (Melichar) is very similar to the male of P. centrolineata 

 (Signoret) illustrated in figure 171, and is possibly conspecific; the 

 minor differences are illustrated in figure 175. Schroder (1959a:47) 

 mentioned having seen the type (presumably lectotype) of Phera 

 centrolineata (Signoret), but I have not seen this specimen and no 

 lectotype designation has been published ; the present interpretation of 

 this species agrees with Schroder's (pi 7, figs. 86, 87) interpretation. 

 P. nigrilux (Walker) and P. tiarata St^l are placed in synonymy under 



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