LAWSON: KANSAS CICADELLID^E. 51 



there was not even a suggestion. It seemed clear enough then 

 that the three forms examined must be distinct species. 



With the thought in mind that such would also prove to be 

 the case with the variety ncevus, we started in to study the 

 latter form, but to our surprise, we found that in no appreci- 

 able way did it differ from typical obliqua, and as far as the 

 genitalia showed was a true variety. And when one considers 

 the color markings, it can readily be seen that this form is 

 certainly far nearer typical obliqua than are either fumida or 

 dorsalis. Accordingly we have decided to give the latter two 

 specific rank, while retaining noevus as a variety. 



In the same way it was found that the variety nigra of 

 Erythroneura vulnerata could no longer be considered as such 

 because of the absolute difference in these organs, and so it 

 too is raised to specific rank. 



Erythroneura comes and its varieties also furnished inter- 

 esting results. All the varieties were not at hand for study, 

 but all available ones were studied with the result that varieties 

 scutelleris, basalaris, and maculata are here given specific rank, 

 while the other varieties studied, namely, ziczac, vitis, infuscata, 

 and coloradensis, are retained as varieties. The former three 

 have a type of genitalia, especially the oedagus, entirely differ- 

 ent from that found in the rest of'the comes group. The dif- 

 ferences are very strong and obvious. They differ, however, 

 very characteristically among themselves in the shape of the 

 chitinous process in the dorsal margin of the pygofers. In 

 basalaris this process is a simple rod tapering to an acute tip. 

 In maculata this process terminates in two short and stout 

 and widely separated teeth. In scutelleris it is of the same 

 type as in maculata, but terminates in two long slender and 

 approximate teeth. Thus they are readily separated from 

 each other. 



Moreover, when one studies the color markings of these 

 forms, it will be seen that these three are more distant from 

 comes than are the four which are retained as varieties. The 

 variety coloradensis differs from typical comes only in the 

 black spots of the scutellum. In ziczac the spots of comes have 

 darkened and fused into the characteristic elytral lines and 

 these are carried on to the pronotum and head in infuscata, 

 And, as Gillette states, ziczac can readily be taken as an inter- 

 mediate form between the typical comes and the variety vitis. 



