Deraeocoris (Heteroptera, Miridae) 85 



Dcraeocapsus n. «:. Other genera will doubtless be found to belong 

 here when a careful study of the arolia is made throughout the family. 

 A diagnosis of the more essential characters of the genus Der- 

 aeocoris is as follows : 



Body oval to siiboval or more or less elongate, dorsum eitlier glabrous or 

 distinctly hairy, usually strongly shining, moderately or distinctly convex, 

 distinctly punctate, head always and the scutellum in many species impunctate. 

 Head usually broader than long, only rarely somewhat longer, very little de- 

 pressed ; basal carina usually distinct, in some species poorly defined or even 

 absent, the vertex frequently indented just before the carina; coUum frequently 

 broadly exposed but exhibits transitions to forms where it is scarcely visible ; 

 front convex, smooth ; tylus usually strongly protruding and well distinguished 

 from the front; facial angle (when viewed from the side, the angle formed 

 by the contour line of the tylus and the lower margin of the buccula) either 

 a right angle or somewhat less; juga, lorae, and bucculae clearly defined, 

 gcnae rather small, gula horizontal or only slightly depressed ; eyes rather 

 large and prominent, ovate when viewed from the side, nearly vertical or slop- 

 ing slightly forward, the posterior margins usually nearly parallel with the base of 

 the head but in a few forms slightly removed. Rostrum reaching upon the 

 middle coxae, only very rarely attaining hind margins of the posterior coxae, 

 but exceptionally long in grandis where it reaches the second ventral segment ; 

 first segment usually attaining the base of head, very rarely longer. Antennae in- 

 serted slightly above the lower margin of the eye, pubescent to distinctl.v hairy ; 

 segment I of variable length, in some forms extending beyond tip of tylus by two- 

 thirds its length ; segment II of variable thickness, usually distinctly thickened to- 

 ward apex, in the males frequently nearly cylindrical and about the thickness of 

 or thicker than segment I, while in the females distinctly slender on the liasal 

 half and gradually enlarged toward apex. Pronotum trapezoidal, collar formed 

 by a narrow ring-like apical constriction extending over the sides and beneath ; 

 disk moderately conve.x, broader at the base than long, gently sloping at the 

 sides and immarginate, or distinctly margined and provided with a slender 

 carina, the numerous species exhibiting gradual transitions from the marginate 

 to the immarginate, margins usually nearly straight, but may be either slightly 

 sulcate or arcuate; calli apparent as smooth shining ovals, flat or convex, fre- 

 quently confluent and distinctly convex, in a few species very finely punctured; 

 disk rather coarsely punctate except between the calli (rarely two punctures 

 between) and on the subelevated area just before. Seiitelluni either punctate 

 or impunctate, strongly convex or nearly flat. Henielytra surpassing the tip 

 of the abdomen, frequently more elongate in the males ; cuneus rather strongly 

 deflected, the fracture deep ; membrane biareolate, smaller areole frequently 

 nuich reduced, the brachium usually broadly curved to form the larger areole ; 

 membrane variously infuscated, frequently affording specific characters. Xyphus 

 flat or slightly convex, margins bordering the coxal cavities carinate. Legs mod- 

 erately long, the hind femora elongate, moderately incrassate, pubescent or dis- 

 tinctly hairy ; tibiae beset vvith prominent hairs, the hind pair frequently with 

 a row of spines on the anterior face, the middle pair sometimes with two rows 

 of spines, front pair with distinct spines only at the apex; tibial comb termi- 

 nated dorsally by two parallel spines of equal size, and ventrally bv two spines 



