208 NORTH AMERICAN MELANOPLI (ORTHOPTERA) 



Aptenopedes nigropicta new species (PI. XV, figs. 9 and 10.) 



This remarkable species is strikingly differentiated by its color- 

 ation, marking and development of the penis. It is a species 

 of medium small size but is slightly more robust than any of 

 the races of aptera Scudder, to which species nearest relationship 

 is indicated. It is probably an insect of very discontinuous 

 distribution, occurring in xeric sandy areas and may be limited 

 to the central ridge of Florida northwest of Lake Okechobee. 



Type. — $ ; Childs, DeSoto County, Florida. August 6, 1930. 

 (R. H. Beamer). [Hebard Collection, Type No. 1297]. 



Size medium small, form decidedly robust for the genus, in this latter 

 chapter approaching robusta here described. Head much as in aptera 

 aptera Scudder, but it and the eyes slightly less deep. Pronotum pro- 

 portionately shorter, its sulci more pronounced, but this accentuation more 

 from coloration than contour. Tegmina, furcula, cerci, supra-anal plate, 

 paraprocts, and subgenital plate much as in aptera aptera. Penis dis- 

 tinctive though of the same general type as in that insect ; dorsal lobes each 

 developed into two bilobate shagreenous chitinous proximo-lateral processes 

 much as in aptera aptera, dorsal pair of parameres produced in two large, 

 adjacent, rounded-subquadrate lobes with a decided concavity caudad, the 

 ventral pair of parameres situated ventro-proximad, adjacent, directed 

 distad and curving dorsad to their acute apices. 



Allotype. — 9 ; same data as type. [Hebard Collection]. 



Larger and more robust than male. More robust but otherwise very 

 similar to the smaller of the females of aptera aptera, the general coloration 

 in life being, however, probably quite different. Curved apices of dorsal 

 valves of ovipositor relatively elongate. 



General coloration of males (apparently somewhat discolored) light 

 brownish buff. Pronotum with all transverse as well as latero-longitudinal 

 short sulci more or less strikingly defined in blackish brown, this weakest 

 dorso-mesad. Pleura and proximal abdominal tergites laterad suffused and 

 with sulci also blackish brown. Sides of face in one male washed with 

 olivaceous. Cephalic and median limbs and caudal femora yellowish olive, 

 the latter yellowish buff internally and ventrad, the genicular arches 

 blackish brown with other portions dull whitish. Caudal tibiae deep 

 glaucous; base, spines and apices of spurs black. Caudal tarsi dull pink. 

 Female (somewhat discolored) dull yellowish olive, immaculate. Caudal 

 tibiae dull glaucous, purplish pink dorsad. Caudal tarsi pink. 



Three males and one female, paratypes, bearing the same data as the 

 described pair, show little size variation. Length of body $ 17.8, 9 24.; 

 length of pronotum $ 3.8, 9 5.; caudal width of pronotal disk $ 3.2, $ 4.7; 

 length of caudal femur $ 9.7, 9 122 mm. 



