Psyllidae of New Zealand — Tuthill 
123 
PAUROPSYLLINAE 
This subfamily is poorly defined, largely 
because of the incomplete state of knowledge 
of the tropical psyllid faunas in which the 
majority of the species assigned to this group 
occur. 
Ferris and Klyver assigned a species to each 
of two genera which have been placed here. 
One of these species, Fauropsylla meyersi 
Ferris and Klyver, appears to be correctly 
placed in the subfamily although it must be 
assigned to a distinct genus. 
As Ferris and Klyver were apparently un- 
familiar with the genus Gyropsylla [Meta- 
phalara] in which they placed the other species 
(Metaphalara zealandka Ferris and Klyver), 
there is some doubt as to whether it was 
properly placed. 
Atmetocranium new genus 
The characteristics which will serve to dis- 
tinguish this genus from Fauropsylla and other 
known genera are: absence of the coronal 
suture; covered frons; lack of genal processes; 
much reduced propleura; metacoxae small, 
without meracanthi; lack of claws on proxi- 
mal segment of metatarsi; dichotomously 
branching veins in the forewing; pterostigma 
present; only five pairs of abdominal spiracles; 
valves of female genitalia fused. 
genotype: Atmetocranium meyersi (Ferris 
and Klyver) = Fauropsylla meyersi Ferris and 
Klyver. 
Atmetocranium myersi (Ferris and Klyver) 
1932 Fauropsylla myersi Ferris and Klyver, New 
Zeal. Inst., Trans. 63: 58, pi. 15. 
This peculiar species was very completely 
described and figured by Ferris and Klyver. 
A series of 11 males and females was taken 
from kamahi beside the road below Waituhi 
Trig, November 26, one other specimen 
was taken the same day several miles nearer 
Taumarunui. Other specimens were reared 
from galls on kamahi, taken at Gatlins, 
December 18, 1946, by G. B. Rawlings. This 
is a true gall-forming species, the nymphs 
developing under the bark of twigs of the 
kamahi. They cause the twig to swell into an 
elongate gall. Upon maturity the bark rup- 
tures above each insect and the adults emerge. 
The abandoned galls resemble cicada ovi- 
position injury superficially. G. B. Rawlings 
first supplied me with this information and 
some specimens of adults reared from the 
galls. With his assistance I was able to find 
the nymphs beneath the growing bark near 
Rotorua. The kamahi seems to be more 
heavily infested the further south one goes. 
SmalFtrees on Stewart Island were deformed 
as a result of recurrent attacks. 
The specimens at hand are somewhat larger 
than those which Ferris and Klyver had. The 
present ones range to 3.4 mm. in length to 
tip of folded wings. 
Unfortunately I was unable to determine 
whether this or a related species occurs on 
the related tawhero, Weinmannia sylvicola. 
HOST PLANT: Weinmannia racemosa Linn. 
That this species is congeneric with Fauro- 
psylla verticis Crawford and F. depressa Craw- 
ford, as was suggested by Ferris and Klyver, is 
highly doubtful even though these species 
also lack the coronal suture. This specializa- 
tion is found in at least one other species, 
Levidea lineata Tuthill, a North American 
species which shows no other similarity to 
Atmetocranium. 
Genus Gyropsylla Brethes 
1921 Gyropsylla Brethes, La Plata Univ. Nac., 
Facult. Agron., Rev. 14: 87 
1925 Metaphalara Crawford, Broteria, Ser. 
Zool. 22(11): 60. 
Three representatives of this genus are 
known in addition to the New Zealand species 
which Ferris and Klyver placed here. Of 
these, one is North American, the others 
South American. Crawford stated, when 
erecting the genus Metaphalara, that it ap- 
peared to be between Pauropsyllinae and 
Aphalarinae. Its relationships are still quite 
unknown. 
