1900] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEV/S. 43I 



A New Genus of Atropidae. 



B}^ Nathan Banks. 



The Atropidae were in former times known from the Psocidae 



not only by the absence of ocelli, but also by the absence of 



wings. Now, however, there are two genera with one pair of 



wings, at lea.st in one sex ; 

 these are Psoqidlla Hagen and 

 Dorypterx Aaron. Hagen 

 erected the genus PsoqjiiHa 

 for a very handsome species 

 of which he had seen but one 

 ^^v\^\V/' \^ \>y specimen, supposedly from 

 ^ " Hamburg. McLachlan in his 



monogaph of the British Pso- 

 cidae recorded two specimens found in England, and gives an 

 excellent figure of the insect. Other than these two references 

 the species appears to be unknown. The species is probably a 

 native of some tropical country, and its occurrence in Europe 

 due to occasional importations. 



Dorypteryx was proposed by Aaron for a pale insect found 

 among piles of books in Philadelphia. It is a very active little 

 form and jumps readily. The female appears to be normally 

 apterous, but the male has slender wings, held close to the 

 bod)', after the manner of Boreiis. I have found it among 

 books at Washington, D. C. Although it may be an importa- 

 tion it appears to be fully established at the present time. 



To these two genera I can now add a third, which was 

 recently sent me by Mrs. A. T. Slosson in a vial of spiders 

 from Biscayne Bay, Florida. Mrs. Slosson writes that this 

 little atropid was caught destroying her butterflies while on 

 the stretching boards. Although the harm done in her case 

 was trifling, the insect could, with a little carelessness, become 

 ([uite a pest in insect boxes. 



Psocinella n. gen. 



No ocelli ; two short wings (mesothoracic), somewhat more than twice 

 as long as broad, broadly rounded at the tip, with several veins and a 

 closed central cell ; costal vein forked toward lip ; the median vein gives 

 off three branches behind and one in front ; anal vein simple ; no trace of 

 hind wings ; legs slender, femora not dilated, tarsi three-jointed, basal 

 joint long and slender, hind tibia longer than the femora (but not as much 



