396 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxxn. 



male, 20, female, 19.5; ovipositor, 15; width, pronotum at narrowest 

 point, male 8, female, 2.25; posteriorly, male, -l, female, 3.5. 



Ti/j)e. — Cat. No. 5733, U. S. National Museum. 



Specimens examined. — One female, the type (fig. 78). Folsom, Cali- 

 fornia, July 7, 1885 (Koebeli), and three males. Thrall, California 

 (Caudell). 



In his original description Doctor Scudder gives the length of the 

 pronotum as 6 mm., but I can make it no more than 5.25. 



Besides the female type the National Museum contains three males 

 taken by the writer at Thrall, California, Julv 28, 1906. They were 

 taken in the evening singing in clumps of small oak shrubs. They sit 

 a few inches above the ground and stridulate very persistently, not 

 ceasing even when approached ver}" closelj". With a little care an 

 observer can easily approach and study the insect songster from a 

 distance of but a few inches. It requires a keen sight to locate the 

 insect at first, as it is protectively colored, blending so nicely with its 

 surroundings as to be practically invisible. When disturbed thej^ 

 leap to the ground among the dead leaves and such debris as usually 

 gathers under the bushes and disappear. The note is a very low and 

 soft, ))ut quite high-keyed, thrill, repeated rapidlv for long periods 

 at a rate of about one hundred and fifty distinct notes per minute. 

 Each note is made by one rasp of the short elytra. 



IDIONOTUS BREVIPES, new species. 



Description (Male; female unknown). — Head of moderate size, not 

 swollen, inserted moderately into the pronotum; vertex not prominent, 

 rounded, broad, decidedly broader than one of the 

 ej^es, which are' of medium size and not prominent; 

 antenna3 slender. Pronotum of medium size, poste- 

 riorly produced well over the wings; lateral lobes 

 deep, two-thirds as deep as long and nearly vertical, 

 flaring a little below, posteriorly scarcely sinuate; \ 



lateral carinte well developed, somewhat acute, nearly fig. si^idionotus 

 straight, approaching on the anterior half to one-half brevipes. cerccs 



. 1 . i_ • T J T 1 . 1 <. OF MATURE MALE. 



their posterior distance apart, and then, just before 

 reaching the anterior edge of the pronotum, they expand slights. 

 Pronotal disk flat, divided al)Out the middle by a very broad and rather 

 deep transverse sulcus or depression; median carina present only poste- 

 rior of this transverse depression, where it is rather distinct and well 

 developed, anterior margin of the disk truncate, posterior margin 

 broadl}^ rounded. Wings aborted, elytra full}^ as long as the pronotum 

 and very broad, overlapping more than usual in this group apically, 

 near the costa, with a notch. Abdomen moderately slender, hardly 

 carinate; cerci (fig. 81) cone shaped armed near the base on the inner side 

 with a sharp black spine directed inwards and with the apical half 

 bent upwards with a sharp curve, the whole cerci no more than twice 



