﻿REVISION 
  OF 
  TRIBE 
  CERESINI 
  — 
  CALDWELL 
  493 
  

  

  While 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  highly 
  improbable 
  that 
  this 
  logic 
  is 
  applicable 
  to 
  all 
  

   problems 
  involving 
  conflicting 
  interpretations 
  of 
  pronotal 
  and 
  phalHc 
  

   characters 
  or 
  that 
  the 
  problems 
  themselves 
  have 
  so 
  simple 
  a 
  solution, 
  

   at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  this 
  line 
  of 
  reasoning 
  must 
  form 
  at 
  least 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   basic 
  concept 
  for 
  evaluating 
  the 
  actual 
  phylogeny 
  because 
  without 
  it 
  

   there 
  is 
  no 
  rational 
  approach 
  to 
  the 
  correlation 
  of 
  the 
  apparently 
  con- 
  

   flicting 
  evidence 
  presented 
  by 
  phaUic 
  and 
  pronotal 
  characters. 
  It 
  

   must 
  have 
  been 
  this 
  conflicting 
  evidence 
  that 
  prompted 
  Buckton 
  (1903, 
  

   p. 
  18) 
  to 
  state, 
  "The 
  diversity 
  of 
  form 
  and 
  aptitude 
  for 
  variation 
  

   appear 
  in 
  these 
  organs 
  [sexual 
  organs] 
  to 
  be 
  an 
  embarrassment 
  rather 
  

   than 
  an 
  assistance 
  in 
  classification," 
  

  

  In 
  this 
  attempt 
  to 
  understand 
  the 
  probable 
  relationships 
  within 
  the 
  

   Ceresini 
  it 
  is 
  realized 
  that 
  the 
  evaluation 
  and 
  interpretation 
  of 
  phalHc 
  

   characters 
  are 
  not 
  absolutely 
  correct, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  believed 
  that 
  the 
  

   proposed 
  arrangement 
  is 
  much 
  more 
  natural 
  than 
  the 
  present 
  system 
  

   even 
  though 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  radical 
  departure 
  from 
  that 
  system 
  and 
  is 
  for 
  the 
  

   most 
  part 
  based 
  upon 
  only 
  one 
  sex. 
  It 
  is 
  also 
  realized 
  that 
  a 
  restricted 
  

   fauna 
  as 
  a 
  basis 
  for 
  a 
  generic 
  revision 
  is 
  very 
  inadequate; 
  therefore, 
  

   insofar 
  as 
  possible, 
  the 
  genotypes 
  of 
  Neotropical 
  genera 
  and 
  as 
  many 
  

   other 
  species 
  as 
  were 
  available 
  have 
  been 
  examined 
  in 
  an 
  effort 
  to 
  

   ehminate 
  errors. 
  As 
  a 
  source 
  of 
  authentic 
  material 
  the 
  majority 
  of 
  

   species 
  examined 
  in 
  this 
  work 
  were 
  determined 
  by 
  Dr. 
  W. 
  D. 
  

   Funkhouser 
  supplemented 
  by 
  specimens 
  determined 
  by 
  the 
  late 
  Dr. 
  

   E. 
  D. 
  BaU 
  and 
  Dr. 
  F. 
  W. 
  Coding. 
  Dr. 
  W. 
  E. 
  China, 
  of 
  the 
  British 
  

   Museum, 
  has 
  kindly 
  fm-nished 
  illustrations 
  of 
  Thelia 
  lutea 
  Walker 
  

   and 
  supplied 
  information 
  concerning 
  the 
  type 
  specimen. 
  He 
  has 
  also 
  

   stated 
  that 
  the 
  type 
  specimen 
  of 
  Membracis 
  vitulus 
  Fabricius 
  originally 
  

   described 
  from 
  the 
  Drury 
  collection 
  is 
  not 
  in 
  the 
  British 
  Museum. 
  

  

  Dr. 
  E. 
  C. 
  Van 
  Dyke 
  has 
  kindly 
  supphed 
  specimens 
  from 
  the 
  

   Cahfornia 
  Academy 
  of 
  Sciences 
  collection 
  described 
  and 
  arranged 
  by 
  

   the 
  late 
  E. 
  P. 
  Van 
  Duzee, 
  including 
  a 
  cotype 
  male 
  of 
  Ceresa 
  palmeri 
  

   Van 
  Duzee 
  labeled 
  "Quinzelk; 
  P. 
  Q.; 
  W. 
  J. 
  Pahner, 
  8-19-07." 
  At 
  the 
  

   suggestion 
  of 
  Dr. 
  Van 
  Dyke 
  this 
  specimen 
  is 
  hereby 
  designated 
  the 
  

   lectotype 
  of 
  Ceresa 
  palmeri 
  Van 
  Duzee. 
  M. 
  A. 
  Yothers 
  has 
  furnished 
  

   all 
  the 
  correspondence 
  and 
  specimens 
  that 
  have 
  been 
  accumulated 
  in 
  

   his 
  work 
  on 
  the 
  treehoppers. 
  Dr. 
  C. 
  C. 
  Plummer 
  has 
  read 
  the 
  manu- 
  

   script 
  in 
  its 
  entirety 
  and 
  has 
  oft'ered 
  helpful 
  criticism 
  and 
  suggestions. 
  

   To 
  aU 
  these 
  men, 
  and 
  to 
  others 
  within 
  the 
  Bureau 
  of 
  Entomology 
  and 
  

   Plant 
  Quarantine 
  who 
  have 
  given 
  freely 
  of 
  their 
  time 
  for 
  discussion 
  

   and 
  suggestions, 
  the 
  writer 
  is 
  indebted 
  for 
  assistance 
  in 
  preparation 
  

   of 
  this 
  paper. 
  

  

  