Dec, 191/.] Gibson-Wells: The Genus Ophiderma. 199 



THE GENUS OPHIDERMA FAIRM. 

 (MEMBRACID^: HOMOPTERA.)' 



By Edmund H. Gibson and Emma Wells, 

 Washington, D. C. 



The genus Ophiderma was described by Fainnaire- to include his 

 salamandra. In its distribution it is limited to North America, and 

 includes ten species, two of which are here described as new. The 

 genus may be characterized as follows : Pronotum greatly depressed ; 

 transversely broadly rounded; dorsal outline almost rectilinear, apex 

 generally surpassing the tip of the abdomen; surface coarsely punc- 

 tured, in most of the species pilose; without suprahumeral horns. 

 Head short and broad. Elytra hyaline, becoming more or less smoky 

 or brown at apex; base of corium with three contiguous nervures; 

 four basal and two discoidal areoles ; terminal areole triangular, 

 petiolate, the adjacent contiguous before it. 



Ophiderma is closely allied to several other genera, namely, 

 Vanduzea Godg., Idioderma Van D., and Carynota Fitch, but may 

 be separated from them by having the base of the corium with three 

 contiguous veins and the terminal areole of the wing triangular. 



Key to the Species. 



1. Dorsal line straight or a little depressed; terminal areole of the elytra 



triangular at base 2. 



Dorsal line somewhat elevated posteriorly, but not at all compressed, 

 behind with a slight sinus ; terminal areole of elytra distinctly obtusely 

 angled on its basal line nigrocincta Van D. 



2. Color a uniform yellow or green 3. 



Color light or dark brown or black, more or less marked with yellow . . 4. 



3. Pronotum short, slender ; eight black spots on face and black crescent over 



eye pallida Van D. 



Larger species ; pronotum long, wide ; face immaculate flava Godg. 



4. Dark brown species with distinct broad yellow band more or less straight 



on margin of pronotum, male with transverse apical band. 



flavicephala Godg. 



1 Contributions from -the U. S. Bureau of Entomology. 

 2Annales de la Societe Entomologique de France, 2e Serie, tome IV, 

 p. 493, 1846. 



