Pomona College Journal of Entomology 481 



Aphalara harrisii Aph. picla Zett. 



Aphalara occidentalis Aph. minufissima Crawf. 



Aphalara epilobii Aph. nebulosa americana Crawf. 



In this paper are mentioned portions of a large number of Psyllidae received 

 from Mr. W. D. Hunter of the Y,\\). Station at Dallas^ Texas, and some, also, 

 from Mr. E. S. Tucker at tlie same station. 



Carsidarinae 

 (Syn. Prioiiocnemiilae Scott pt., Ciriacreminae Enderlein pt. ) 



The name Prionocnemidae was proposed in 1882 by John Scott as a subfamily 

 name for the two genera Carsidara and Tyora, both of which genera were based 

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

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

 inae and must 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 Psyl- 

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

 In 1910 Dr. Enderlein proposed the name Ciriacreminae for several genera pos- 

 sessing the post-tibial spur, whether or not they were otherwise related. In the 

 group he includes the genera Carsidara and Tyora 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 the 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 tibiae 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 Ciriacremum 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 usually present, and when present, in varying degrees of prominence. The 

 principal diagnostic character of the group is in the thorax and liead, with ac- 

 companying minor characters of the appendages. 



To this subfamily are now referred several genera from the Aphalarinae, Psyl- 

 linae and Triozinae which are unmistakablj' 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 tlie thorax first, then the head and then the append- 

 ages, the legs and the wings. To use venational characters of the forewing 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- 



