The family Fulgoridae has long been divided into ten 

 subfamilies but one of these, the Delphacinae, is now given 

 family rank by most writers. Members of the latter group 

 are easily differentiated by having a movable spur or calcar 

 on the tip of the hind tibia. The fact that they are almost 

 all sedge and grass-feeding forms occupying the same kind 

 of an ecological habitat (low wet areas) strengthens the 

 writer's belief that they should be treated as a separate 

 and distinct family. Muir has more recently (Proc. Ha- 

 waiian Ent. Soc., V. pp. 205-247) divided the Fulgoroidea 

 into fifteen families based on his extensive, careful study 

 of tropical material. However, the following key as given 

 by Van Duzee will suffice for those forms occurring within 

 the United States. 



The following table has been adopted from Van Duzee : 



Key to the subfamilies of the Fulgoridae 



Anal area of the elytra reticulated, sides of the clypeus carinate, 

 1. Fulgorinae 



Anal area of the elytra rarely reticulated, the clypeus in this case 

 without lateral carinae, : 1. 



1. Posterior tibiae armed with a movable spur,.... 10. Delphacinae 

 ... Posterior tibiae without a movable spur, 2. 



2. Clavus granulated; costa dilated, the costal membrane trans- 

 versely venose, 8. Flatinae 



... Clavus rarely granulated; costa in this case not dilated,.. 3. 



3. Veins of the clavus not attaining the apex, but united with the 

 commissural margin before the apex, 4. 



... Veins of the clavus either continued to the apex or united with 

 the claval suture before the apex, 5. 



4. Apex of the front without an ocellus; elytra reticulated toward 

 their apex, 2. Dictyophorinae 



... Apex of the front usually with a third ocellus; elytra not re- 

 ticulated apically, 4. Cixiinae 



5. Elytra ample, held vertical with the costal margin meeting 

 below the abdomen, closely reticulated over the whole surface; 

 the costal and apical margins without transverse veins; front 



coalescent with the vertex, no transverse carina, 



7. Acanaloniinae 



... Elytra when broad held more horizontal not meeting below 

 closely reticulated over the whole surface, and the front usually 

 separated from the vertex by a transverse carina at the apex 

 of the head, 6. 



6. Head broad, with the eyes nearly or quite as wide as the 

 mesonotum; pronotum without carinae or with a median carina 

 only, 7. 



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