y 



46 lOVV^A ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



local in distribution in some parts. In Colorado it occurs 

 everywhere, but in Iowa it has only been found in a few 

 places along the northern border, and yet it occurs along- 

 side in Missouri and Nebraska. This species is very vari- 

 ble in size and color, the black on vertex and pronotum is 

 fairly constant, while the elytra vary from a bright red 

 to a bright slaty blue and on to shining black, and the 

 irrorations on head and pronotum vary from white to 

 orange, and in some Central American specimens they are 

 rufus. The lateral white stripe, however, remains con- 

 stant, and will at once distinguish this species. 



Fowler, in the Biologia, places this species under Tetti- 

 gonia, along with puncfiilafa. This is an error; the resem- 

 blance is only superficial. Lateralis possesses the angled 

 front, the sulcate anterior tibiae and the exposed lateral 

 margin to the abdomen, which make it a good Oncome- 

 topia, and widely separates it from piiuctidata. 



<5 GENUS HOMALODISCA, STAL. 

 Head, large; eyes, prominent, wider than pronotum; vertex 

 and pronotum, inclined; vertex, triangular, the apex obtuse longer 

 than pronotum, the disc with a distinct median furrow. Front and 

 vertex forming an acute angle, the apex bluntly rounded. Front, 

 flat in same plane as clypeus, the disc flat or concave. Pronotum, 

 short, quadrangular, narrowing posteriorly. Elytra, hyaline or 

 sub-hyaline, rarely coriaceous, the claval nervures often united for 

 a considerable distance in the middle. Anterior tibiie, sulcate 

 above, often broadened apically. 



This genus is closely related to Phera, of Stal, but may 

 be known by the broader apex of the vertex and the flat 

 or depressed front. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 

 A. Elytra, hyaline, at least on basal half, the nervures distinct, 

 apparently raised. 



B. Vertex, but slightly longer than pronotum, evenly 

 irrorate, with fuscous; usually several irregular, retic- 

 ulate veins between the first cross nervure and the fork 



of the tirsl sector triquetra, Fab.O 



BB. Vertex, one-half longer than pronotum, irregularly 

 lined with fuscous, no extra cross-nervures between 



the sectors of elytra liturata n. sp.O 



AA. Elytra, opaque, the nervures concolorous, the flrst sectors 

 forked half way between the first cross-nervure and the sec- 

 ond insolita Walk.O 



