l6 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I39 



categories of more resistant blood cells, such as macronucleocytes of 

 small size (stem cells) and other kinds of granular hemocytes. A 

 similar "differential sensitiveness" has been formerly observed in 

 extensive material of spiders (see Gregoire, 1955b). 



DISCUSSION 



DISTRIBUTION OF THE PATTERNS OF COAGULATION IN THE VARIOUS 

 TAXONOMIC CATEGORIES OF INSECTS 



Detailed accounts on the relationships between pattern of coagula- 

 tion of the hemolymph and taxonomic category have been given in 

 previous papers (Gregoire 1955a, pp. 132-137; 1957, pp. 28-32; 

 Gregoire and Jolivet, 1957, pp. 34~37)- In this respect, the informa- 

 tion obtained in the present material supports our former conclusions. 

 With one exception (Carthaeomorpha rufipes, see below), the pattern 

 detected in the samples of hemolymph collected in the present study 

 (table, notes) from 50 specimens belonging to 30 neotropical species 

 already investigated (1957), were identical to those recorded pre- 

 viously. 



1. Orthopteroid Complex. 



That broad group constitutes a highly homogeneous category with 

 regard to the pattern consistently recorded at the specific and at the 

 supraspecific levels. 



2. Hemipteroid Complex. 



Hemiptera. — With the exception of Nepidae and Belostomatidae, 

 studied previously (Gregoire, 1955a; Gregoire and Jolivet, 1957), 

 all the specimens from 14 other families of Hemiptera investigated, 

 including Reduviidae, Pyrrhocoridae (see 1955a), Coreidae, Gelasto- 

 coridae, Pentatomidae, Miridae of the present (38 species) and of 

 former materials, exhibited consistently the pattern IV. 



Homoptera. — The present material includes 41 species not investi- 

 gated previously (Gregoire, 1955a, p. no; 1957, pp. 15 and 16). 

 Pattern I was predominant in Cicadidae, Fulgoridae, Dictyopharidae, 

 Cercopidae, Cicadellidae, and was recorded in the only specimen of 

 Membracidae captured, a family not yet investigated. In a few 

 Cercopidae (see also 1955a, p. no) and Cicadellidae, pattern I was 

 associated with pattern II ( = pattern III). 



A substantial coagulation of the hemolymph, developing rapidly, 

 sometimes instantaneously, characterized these families, with the 



