﻿534 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  MUSEUM 
  vol. 
  i03 
  

  

  In 
  1941 
  Thompson 
  (Ann. 
  Mag. 
  Nat. 
  Hist., 
  ser. 
  11, 
  vol. 
  7, 
  p. 
  530, 
  

   1941) 
  described 
  a 
  species 
  (Jrancicus) 
  from 
  the 
  Solomon 
  Islands 
  and 
  

   in 
  1948 
  (Bol. 
  Ent. 
  Venezolana, 
  vol. 
  7, 
  Nos. 
  1, 
  2, 
  June 
  1948) 
  he 
  de- 
  

   scribed 
  a 
  species 
  from 
  Ceylon 
  and 
  another 
  from 
  Jamaica 
  (cypsiurus 
  

   and 
  gossei). 
  

  

  Because 
  of 
  the 
  small 
  number 
  of 
  specimens 
  and 
  species 
  available 
  

   for 
  study 
  to 
  any 
  single 
  worker, 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  and 
  still 
  is 
  impossible 
  to 
  

   prepare 
  a 
  thoroughly 
  comprehensive 
  review 
  of 
  the 
  genus. 
  I 
  have 
  been 
  

   fortunate 
  in 
  securing 
  a 
  considerable 
  number 
  of 
  species 
  of 
  this 
  inter- 
  

   esting 
  group. 
  In 
  my 
  collection 
  are 
  the 
  types 
  of 
  bruneri 
  (Carriker) 
  

   and 
  meridionalis 
  (Carriker), 
  several 
  specimens 
  of 
  australis 
  E'\^dng 
  from 
  

   the 
  type 
  host, 
  and 
  a 
  male 
  of 
  distinctus 
  Ferris. 
  

  

  In 
  addition, 
  there 
  are 
  specimens 
  of 
  seven 
  forms 
  which 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  

   undescribed, 
  all 
  from 
  various 
  countries 
  of 
  South 
  America. 
  Some 
  of 
  

   these 
  species 
  are 
  very 
  distinct 
  and 
  may 
  be 
  easily 
  recognized, 
  but 
  

   others 
  form 
  a 
  closely 
  related 
  group, 
  some 
  of 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  conspecific 
  

   but 
  may 
  be 
  separated 
  from 
  each 
  other 
  by 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  

   thoracic 
  segments, 
  chaetotaxy, 
  etc. 
  I 
  have 
  examined 
  males 
  of 
  seven 
  

   species 
  (four 
  described 
  species 
  and 
  three 
  new 
  ones) 
  and 
  found 
  very 
  

   little 
  difference 
  in 
  the 
  genitalia 
  (see 
  figures). 
  Even 
  the 
  genitalia 
  of 
  

   distinctus 
  Ferris, 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  aberrant 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  genus, 
  are 
  

   very 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  others. 
  Apparently, 
  the 
  only 
  very 
  different 
  

   genitalia 
  are 
  those 
  of 
  major 
  (Uchida), 
  for 
  which 
  Uchida 
  erected 
  a 
  new 
  

   genus 
  not 
  recognized 
  by 
  Hopkins 
  and 
  Clay. 
  The 
  males, 
  insofar 
  as 
  I 
  

   can 
  determine, 
  differ 
  but 
  little 
  from 
  the 
  females 
  except 
  in 
  size 
  and 
  in 
  

   the 
  terminal 
  segments 
  of 
  the 
  abdomen. 
  

  

  The 
  best 
  characters 
  for 
  the 
  separation 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  are 
  the 
  gular 
  

   plate 
  and 
  its 
  chaetotaxy, 
  the 
  shape 
  and 
  proportions 
  of 
  the 
  thoracic 
  

   segments, 
  the 
  prostemal 
  plate 
  and 
  its 
  chaetotaxy, 
  the 
  mesosternal 
  

   and 
  metasternal 
  plates, 
  and 
  a 
  median 
  sternal 
  sclerite 
  usually 
  present 
  

   in 
  abdominal 
  segments 
  I 
  and 
  II 
  (sometimes 
  wanting). 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  key 
  contains 
  the 
  new 
  species 
  described 
  in 
  this 
  paper 
  

   as 
  weU 
  as 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  known 
  species 
  except 
  cypsiurus 
  Thompson, 
  

   jrancicus 
  Thompson, 
  and 
  hirundinidis 
  (Linnaeus), 
  the 
  European 
  

   species 
  for 
  which 
  I 
  lack 
  sufficient 
  data 
  for 
  their 
  inclusion. 
  I 
  have 
  

   followed 
  Peters 
  in 
  the 
  nomenclature 
  of 
  the 
  hosts. 
  All 
  hosts 
  whose 
  

   identities 
  were 
  uncertain 
  have 
  been 
  verified 
  by 
  Dr. 
  A. 
  Wetmore 
  except 
  

   that 
  of 
  D. 
  similis, 
  which 
  was 
  fm-nished 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Phelps, 
  To 
  both 
  of 
  

   these 
  my 
  thanks 
  are 
  due, 
  AU 
  measurements 
  are 
  in 
  millimeters 
  and 
  

   all 
  drawings 
  were 
  prepared 
  by 
  the 
  author. 
  

  

  