FAM. MEMBRACID^ 



SuBF. TRAGOPIN/E Stal 



The subfamily Tragopina, while very distinct from the other subfamilies, and easily recog- 

 nized by the small, flat, beetle-like appearance of the insects, as well as by the more technical 

 characters of the pronotum and tegmina, is in great confusion in so far as the genera and species are 

 concerned. 



The five genera here recognized have been generally accepted but we are very suspicious of 

 their vaHdity because of the many intergrading forms. All of these genera were erected on characters 

 which have been found to be far from distinctive We have been unable to discover any good generic 

 characters but we believe that the male genitalia, even though they are not readily adaptable for taxo- 

 nomic work, may afford some structures which may eventually prove to be of some value in such studies. 



In like manner, the species are in a very unsatisfactory state. Most of them have been described 

 on the basis of the shape of the pronotum and on color markings, both of which characters are extremely 

 variable. We have in our collection several hundred specimens which apparently do not belong 

 to any known species but which we are as yet unwilling to desciibe as new because of intermediate 

 forms and because of the absence of constant and reliable characters. 



We are here accepting, on the basis of characters suggested by their authors, the groups of the 

 subfamily as they have been proposed and as they appear in the literature of the family, with the recog- 

 nition of the fact that future investigations may show that some of these divisions cannot stand. It will 

 be seen that the characters used in the construction of the key to the genera are often comparative 

 rather than distinct, and for that reason are far from satisfactorj'. 



GENERA OF THE SUBFAMILY TRAGOPIN^ STAL 



I. Humeral angles not produced into horns 



.A. Corium with one or more discoidal cells ; apical limbus very broad ; tegmina almost 

 entirely covered by pronotum ; venation very indistinct 



1. Pronotum withont lateral carina Tragopa Latreille. 



2. Pronotum with lateral carince 



a. Median carina strong; free part of tegmina punctate Tropidolomia Stal. 



aa. No median carina; tegmina not pttnctate Stilbophora Stal. 



B. Corium with no discoidal cells; apical limbus moderate ; tegmina at least half ex- 



posed; venation distinguishable Horiola Fairmaire. 



II. Humeral angles produced into conical horns or iubercles Ceratopola Stal. 



68. Genus TRAGOPA Latreille 



Tragopa Latreille, Reg. .'^.nim. V : 2ig (1829). 

 Chelyoidea Buckton, Mon. Memb. i56 (igoS). 



Characters : The insects of this genus are small, globular or flattened, with a broad carapace- 

 like pronotum and a superficial resemblance to beetles. They show a wide variety of color markings, 



