Pomona College Jolhnal of Entomoloov 481 



Aphalara harrisii Apli. fiicla Zi-tt. 



Aphalara occidfutalii Aplt. minulisaima Crnwf. 



Aphalara rpilohii uiph. nehulosa anicriiuiia C'rawf. 



In this paper arc mentioned portions of n large numlxT of Psyllidac received 

 from Mr. \V. I). Hunter of the Exp. Station at Dallas, Texas, and some, also, 

 from Mr. 1'. S. Tucker at the same station. 



Carsidarinae 

 (Syn. I'rionocncmiiiac Scott pi., Ciriacreminae Knderlein pt. ) 



The name Prionocnemidae was proposed in I88'i by John Scott as a subfamily 

 name for the two genera Cariidara and Tfiora, both of whicii genera were based 

 principally on the presence of a basal spur on the hind tibiw. This name, of 

 course, cannot stand, for several reasons; the subfamily name must terminate in 

 inae and nnist be derived from the oldest genus in the group, which in this case 

 is Carsidara; moreover, the use of the name Prionocnemidae is precluded in P»yl- 

 lidae by the existence of a genus in Colcoptera, Prionocnemus Kirsch (1874). 

 In lO't* lir- Enderlein proposed the name Ciriacreminae for several genera pos- 

 sessing the post-tibinl spur, whether or not they were otlierwisc related. In the 

 group he includes the genera Carsidara and Tifora and several other genera not 

 closely allied to these. Regardless of the fact that the group is not closely inter- 

 related, this subfamily name is untenable for tiie reason that it has been derived 

 from one of the last named genera. 



The presence of the basal post-tibial spur is not a character which necessarily 

 relates all species possessing it. In this family there are several species with 

 the armed tibiie which are manifestly not related to each other in any way, ex- 

 cept in that one character, and to place all these forms in one subfamily, as 

 done by Enderlein, will result in as much confusion as from grouping genera on 

 wing venation. A species undoubtedly belonging to Enderlein's new and typical 

 genus Ciriacrcmum in the collection at hand is not in the slightest degree related 

 to the several species of Carsidara and its allied genera. 



The subfamily Carsidarinae must, therefore, be recognized as a very homo- 

 geneous and closely related group, one characterization of which is the post-tibial 

 spur usualli/ present, and when present, in varying degrees of prominence. The 

 princi|)al diagnostic character of the group is in the thorax and head, with ac- 

 companying minor characters of the appcnd:igcs. 



To this subfamily are now referred several genera from the Aplialarinac, Ptyl- 

 linac and Triozinac whicli are unmistakably and without the slightest doubt very 

 closely allied to the genus Carsidara. This removal of genera from all subfami- 

 lies shows that the characters heretofore used for separation of subfamilies in the 

 Psyllidae have been only artificial and crude, at best. The primary characters 

 would best be looked for in the thorax first, then the head and then the append- 

 ages, the legs and the wings. To use venational characters of the forcwing for 

 the subfamily diagnosis is impossible, even when the difference is in the presence 

 or absence of the cubital petiole, and much more so when the difference is a rela- 

 tive one between the lengths of two short veins. It is a remarkable fact that 

 Kuwayama did not discover the relationship of his genera Tenaphalara, Macro- 



