TAXONOMY OF BITING LICE EWING 



la 



M. infrequens Kellogg, yet our knowledge of the valid generic 

 characters of the Menoponidae is not sufficient to enable us to place 

 this genus in its proper taxonomic position. 



Type species. — Hirundoecus americanus^ new species. 



HIRUNDOECUS AMERICANUS, new species 



Head very broad, being over twice as broad as long ; ocular emar- 

 ginations slight; temporal lobes reduced, rounded. Dorsal setae on 

 or near the margins except for a centro-lateral pair. 



Prothorax almost as broad and almost as large as head, with 

 rounded lateral and posterior margins. Along its postero-lateral 

 and lateral margins the prothorax bears sixteen long setae; at the 



Figure 6. — Hiedndoecus americanus, new genus and new 

 SPECIES. Dorsal view of head and prothorax^ X60. 

 (Drawn by Miss Heurich) 



shoulders is a pair of small spines and near the front margin another 

 pair of small spines. Prosternal plate as figured (fig. 7, /). 



Mesothorax inconspicuous but separate, about six to eight times 

 as broad as long ; without any setae. 



Metathorax as broad as the prothorax and about two-thirds as 

 long; of similar shape to first abdominal segment. It bears a pos- 

 terior marginal row of long setae and several small lateral marginal 

 spines. 



Abdomen two-thirds as broad as long; tergites bare except for 

 the posterior row of spines and setae, the spines of the row being 

 lateral tov/ard the pleurites; pleurites with conspicuous, sharp,, 

 marginal spines. Basal plate of male genital armature long and" 

 slender, reaching to about the front margin of seventh abdominal 

 segment; parameres long, almost equal in length to the basal plate. 



