174 



M. W. NIELSON 



Cook Is.: Atiu, i g, 28-29.V.1965 (G. W. Ramsey) (DSIR, Nelson). Pitcairn I.: Henderson 

 Field, collected from Asplenium nitidus, 1 9> I 3 v i- I 934 {D. Anderson). 



The examination of the holotype female of Jassus tahitiensis and the holotype 

 male [nee $] of Jassus insularis resulted in the association of these sexes as the 

 same species, tahitiensis being the valid name by priority by pagination. Metcalf 

 (1964 : 68) proposed a new name osborni for Jassus insularis Osborn, 1934, which 

 was preoccupied by Coelidia insularis Matsumura, 1914 at the time Metcalf 

 transferred this species to the genus Coelidia. However, insularis Osborn does 

 not belong in the genus Coelidia and has been transferred to the genus Tharra. 



Biology. This species has been collected from a number of host plants listed 

 above from the Tahiti Islands. Collection records indicate that the species is 

 prevalent in July and August. 



Remarks. The nearest relative of tahitiensis is ochracea and the former species 

 can be separated by the presence of a needle-like pygofer process and by the ventral 

 appendage of the aedeagus whose apex reaches the apex of the dorsal appendage. 



Tharra hackeri Evans 



(Text-figs 469-473) 



Tharra hackeri Evans, 1966 : 189. Holotype $, Australia: Queensland National Park 

 (SAM, Sydney). 



Length:^ 4-90-5-10 mm, $ 5-30-5-70 mm. 



General colour light fuscous. Crown rufofuscous ; eyes deep fuscous ; pronotum and scutellum 

 rufofuscous; elytra rufofuscous, deep fuscous apically; clypeus and clypellus rufofuscous. 



Head narrower than pronotum; crown short, produced distally beyond anterior margin of 

 eyes, distal length about one-third entire median length; striate radially with short, median 

 longitudinal carina, lateral margins nearly parallel, disk elevated above eyes; ocelli small, 

 situated anteriorly; eyes moderate size, occupying a little over half entire dorsal area of head; 

 pronotum large, median length greater than median length of crown, surface finely knobbed; 

 scutellum large, median length about equal to median length of pronotum; elytra elongate, 

 veins somewhat obscured, appendix well developed, venation as in description of genus; 

 clypeus elongate, broad anteriorly, narrowed posteriorly, lateral margins somewhat constricted 

 at antennal sockets, without median longitudinal carina, surface finely granulose, rugulose 

 along anterior margin; clypellus with lateral margins slightly concave. 



Male pygofer in lateral aspect with long, slender, narrow process arising from caudodorsal 

 margin, process with lateral margins nearly equidistant throughout, slightly broader basally, 

 pointed apically; aedeagus in lateral aspect with dorsal appendage broad at basal three-fourths, 

 slightly curved and constricted subapically, without spines or flanges; ventral appendage long, 

 tube-like, truncate apically, apex reaching apex of dorsal appendage; gonopore apical; 

 connective Y-shaped; style clawed apically; plate with distal segment long, dorsal margin 

 somewhat expanded. 



Female seventh sternum with posterior margin produced medially. 



Distribution. Australia. 

 Specimens examined. 



Australia: S.E. Queensland, Mt Glorious, 600 m, rain forest, 30 g, 19$, 28.ii.-6.iii.1961 

 (L. 6- M. Gressitt); Mt Glorious, 1 ^ 1 $, 26.xii.1928 (H. Hacker); Mt Gipps, 3 £, i.ix.1931 



