1923] The Fulgorid^ of Eastern North America 143 



The pronotiim is a saddle-shaped piece with the breast plates ex- 

 tending ventrad and covering the propleura. The pronotum is long 

 or short sometimes being reduced to a mere collar (Catonia) and 

 sometimes longer than the mesonotum. It is usually medianly cari- 

 nate and more or less notched posteriorly, although it is truncate in 

 most Issince. There are frequently intermediate and lateral carina 

 whose positions and direction have been much used as generic char- 

 acters among the Delphacince. The breast plates are usually sepa- 

 rated from the dorsal field of the pronotum by distinct carin^e. 



The mesonotum is generally longer than the pronotum, broadly 

 triangular and is as a rule provided with three distinct carina, some- 

 times five (Oliarus). In all of our genera there are distinct tegula 

 at the base of the fore wings. These are broadly crescentric in shape 

 with one horn directed dorsad and the other laterad. The tegulae are 

 frequently medianly carinate and their shape and size furnish good 

 diagnostic characters. 



Thoracic Appendages. The thoracic appendages are the typical 

 three pairs of legs and two pairs of wings although the metathoracic 

 (hind) wings are sometimes wanting (most brachypterous forms). 

 The legs have the usual segments of an insect leg. with well developed 

 trochantines and three jointed tarsi. In the prothoracic (fore) legs 

 the coxa? are generally long sometimes nearly as long as the femora. 

 The femora and tibiae are terete with the former thick and the latter 

 slender. They are nearly equal in length. Sometimes (Phylloscelis 

 and PhyUodinus) the femora and tibia are much dilated. Spines are 

 usually absent on the fore legs and the pulvillus and claws are weakly 

 developed. The mesothoracic (middle) legs are but little used taxo- 

 nomically. They are somewhat intermediate in character between the 

 fore and hind legs. In the metathoracic (hind) legs the coxae are 

 usually nearly globular in shape but sometimes they are more elon- 

 gate. The femora are clavate and not especially elongate. The tibia 

 are slender and much elongate. Normally they have one or more 

 hea\y spines along the posterior lateral margin, although these spines 

 are sometimes absent {Myndus, Oecleus). The number of these spines 

 are not specifically constant as has been assumed by some writers as 

 the number frequently varies on the two members on the same speci- 

 men. The number of these tibial spines and their approximate posi- 

 tion should be recorded in all generic diagnoses, however, as they are 

 very useful. The hind tibia frequently end in a circlet of spines 



