6 I. AHMAD 



ALYDIDAE Amyot et Serville 



Alydides Amyot et Serville, 1843 : 221 



Alydidae Dallas, 1852 : 467 ; Douglas and Scott, 1865 : 18 



Alydida Stal, 1868 : 542 



Alydina Stal, 1873 : 34, 84 



Alydinae Distant, 1880 : 156 



Alydidae Reuter, 19 12 : 49 



Coriscidae Stichel, 1925 : 45 ; Blatchley, 1926 : 256 



Alydidae Southwood, 1955a : 80 ; Leston and Scudder, 1956 : 231 ; Leston, 1958 : 911 ; 



Southwood and Leston, 1959 : 65 ; Scudder, 1959 : 418 

 Alydinae China and Miller, 1959 : 7, 40 

 Alydidae Wagner, 1961 : 141 



Macropterous or at least brachypterous species, body length usually more than 10 mm. ; 

 head proportionally much larger ; the part between the eyes wider than base of scutellum ; 

 eyes usually very prominent ; ocelli usually large, usually narrowly separated ; apical seg- 

 ment of antennae as long as or usually longer than third ; bucculae short, not extending pos- 

 teriorly beyond the insertion of antennae, sometimes entirely anterior to antenniferous 

 tubercles ; metapleural scent gland ostioles usually distinct ; spiracles ventral in normal 

 position, away from lateral margins ; fourth and fifth dorsal abdominal segments with basal 

 margins lobately sinuate into preceding segments ; legs long, posterior femora usually thick- 

 ened, in o* sometimes with spines ; first joint of tarsi usually more than twice as long as second 

 and third together ; usually narrow, elongate or cylindrical, dark coloured species. 



o* genitalia usually very complicated and variable ; in $, second gonocoxae fused with each 

 other and with second gonopophyses ; complicated sclerotized expansions present, supporting 

 the genital chamber (Scudder, 1959). In eggs, pseudo-operculum absent (Southwood, 1956) ; 

 usually four-lobed principal salivary glands present and accessory ducts with swelling midway 

 along its length (Bugnion, 1910 and Southwood, 1955a) ; in larvae, tergum five usually medially 

 with anterior and posterior margins deflected posteriorly and head pointed anteriorly, longer 

 than broad (Leston and Scudder, 1956) ; chromosome number, 2x = 13 (xo) (Leston, 1958). 



Alydidae can easily be separated from other related families by the presence of 

 very short bucculae, not extending posteriorly beyond the insertion of antennae. 



Key to Subfamilies 



1 Pronotum at widest point only slightly wider and longer than head. (Aedeagus 



usually without ventral pair of thecal appendages) ...... 2 



- Pronotum at widest point usually at least half as wide again as and distinctly longer 



than head. (Aedeagus always with a ventral pair of thecal appendages and usually 

 very complex with a number of lateral, frontal and dorsal conjunctival appendages. 

 In $, second gonopophyses usually rounded at apices ; spermatheca usually flask- 

 shaped, sometimes with a median flange) .... LEPTOCORISINAE 



2 Second rostral segment usually distinctly longer than posterior two together ; 



fourth rostral segment about twice as long as third ; hind femora never with spines. 

 (In q\ pygophore with a median posterior spine and aedeagus with a dorsal pair of 

 thecal appendages. In $, posterior margin of seventh abdominal sternum usually 

 with a median split ; both pairs of rami fully developed ; spermatheca with a long 

 coiled tube) . MICRELYTRINAE 



- Second rostral segment usually distinctly shorter than posterior two together ; 



fourth never twice as long as third ; hind femora swollen, always with a series of 

 ventroposterior spines. (In <$, pygophore without a median posterior spine and 

 aedeagus without thecal appendages. In $, posterior margin of seventh abdominal 

 sternum emarginate without a median split, both pairs of rami very short and 

 thin ; spermatheca with a short connecting tube) .... ALYDINAE 



