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Psyche 6:305-310, 1891.

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August 1892.1
THE NORTH AMERICAN JASSIDAE ALLIED TO THAMNOTETTIX. BY E. P. VAN DUZEE, BUFFALO, N. Y.
No attempt has yet been made accu-
rately to place the North
American
species of Jassidae allied to Thamno-
tettix and Athysanus. In the present
paper I propose to do this for the more
common of our described forms.
The English and continental ento-
mologists by no means agree in their
use of sr.c11 generic terms as Cicadula, Thamnotettix, Limotettix and Athy-
sanus, but Fieber's system, adopted by
Futon, is most widely used on the
continent. This restricts Cicadula to
those species in which the outer branch
-
of the first sector of the elytra is obso- lete or nearly so, thus leaving two anti- apical areoles instead of three, as in
Thamnotettix. The old rule of placing
the first species described under the
older genera as their type is thus dis-
regarded here, but it seems to me justi- fiably so, as Zetterstedt's first species of Cicadula (quadrinotata) properly be-
longs to his preceding genus, Thamno-
tettix.
As stated by Mr. C. W. Woodworth
(Psyche, v. 5, p. 75, 1888) Sahlberg
in his " Cicadariae " (I 871)~ unwar-
rentably places Cicadula in the Typhlo-
cybini, substituting it for Fieber's genus Kybos. Then he erected his genus
Limotettix (not Limnotettix as errone-
ously written by Mr. Woodworth), and
placed in it a selection from several of the genera as arranged by Fieber, among
which may be found most of the species
of Cicadula as listed in M. Puton's
latest catalogue.
We cannot accept Mr. James
Edwards' disposition of these genera as
published in his "Synopsis of the
British Homoptera," nor Mr. Wood-
worth's limitation of the genus Cicadula without discarding our present artificial arrangement of this group of the Jas-
sidae for one still more artificial.
Probably most of the genera men-
tioned below, viz., Cicadula, Limotettix, Chlorotettix, Thamnotettix, Eutettix and Athysanus might be considered as sub-
genera of but one, or possibly two,
generic groups represented by Thamno-
tettix and Athysanus. They are cer-
tainly unsatisfactory in their characters and quite artificial, as M. Lethierry
says of Cicadula, "Nous croyons devoir
accepter Ie genre non comine un genre
nature] . . . inais cornme un genre
artificiel, destinkr faciliter la connais- sance et l'6tude des esp6ces." But
where large groups of species are as
poor in structural characters as are the Jassidae we must form our genera so as
to lighten the labor of the student as
much as possible.
Cicadula as above restricted includes
in our fauna three described species,
sexnotata, variata and punctifrons of
Fallen, all common to Europe and
America, and a few forms still uncle-




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PSYCHE.
[August 1392.
scribed. Here the head is broad and
rounded before, as in Liniotettix, the
front is rather narrow, the sides of the pronotuin are of moderate length and
without a carina, and the elyti-a are
long with a well developed appendix.
In Thamnotettix, as here accepted,
the head is broad, obtusely angled or
rounded before, front narrow, sides of
pronotuin rather long and casinated ;
outer branch of the first sector of the
elytra evident ; appendix well developed. In the twelve following species the
sides of the pronotum are of moderate
length, with a slender carina more or
less distinct and a little oblique, being a little depressed anteriorly to the outer corner of the eye : clitellarius Say.
eburatus V. D., *rnontanus V. D.,
belli Uhl., *semipullatus V. D., flavo-
capitatus V. D., *gilletti V. D., gem-
inatus V. D., fasciaticollis Stall
melanogaster Prov., kennicotti Uhl.,
coquelletti V. D.
In a few species the sides of the pro-
notum are shorter, sometimes much
shorter, with the carina obsolete or
nearly so. Here belong : fitchii V. D.,
atropunctatus V. D., *smithi V. D.,
decipiens Prov., laetus Uhl., *longi-
seta V. D.
Th. subaeneus V. D. has the sides of
the pronotum quite strongly carinated,
and will be noticed below under
Eutettix.
In another group of allied species the
head is still broader, well rounded be-
fore and of almost equal length across
its whole width, thus recalling Idio-
* The description of these species will soon appear. cerus ; the ocelli are plainly visible from above ; the front is wide as in Lil-no-
tettix, sides of the pronotuin of mode-
rate length and distinctly carinated ;
elytra long, with the appendix well
developed, thin and subhyaline in tex-
ture, with the nervures indistinct. This genus, for which I propose the name
CHLOROTETTIX, includes insects larger
than we find in the other groups here
noticed, of a uniform green color of
some shade, occasionally tinged with
fulvous or marked with black on the
tergum. Bythoscofus unicolor Fi tch
may be taken as the type with which
may be placed Bythoscopus tergatus
Fitch and the C. viridius and C. gal-
banatus described below, and also two
or three species as yet undescribed.
Dr. Fitch's two species have been
placed by Mr. Uhler in Grypotes, but
they want the incurved clypeus char-
acteristic of that genus, and in neura-
tion they approach Thamnotettix and
Limotettix, between which they may be
placed.
Limotettix 1 have used for a group of
which three North American species
are known to me : striola Fall., pai-al- lelus V. D. and Cicadula exitiosa Uhl.
The first of these, striola, seems to have been intended by Sahlberg as the type
of his genus, parallelus is closely allied to striola, but the position of exitiosa is doubtful, and it may not belong here at
all. These agree in form very nearly
with Chlorotettix, but the sides of the
pronoturn are short and terete and the
insects are smaller, more slender, and
with more pigmentation.




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~ugust 1892.1 PSYCHE. 307
Another group, for which I propose
the name EUTETTIX, is intermediate in
its characters between Thamnotettix and
Athysanus. In form the species resemble
Phlepsius, being broader and stouter
than in Thamnotettix. The vertex is
rounded anteriorly, and more of less
transversely impressed behind the apex ; the front is nearly as wide as in Athy-
sanus ; the elytra are proportionately
shorter than in Thamnotettix, and mod-
erately valvated at the apex, with but
one transverse nervure between the first and second sectors. The sides of the
pronotum are shorter than in Thamno-
tettix and ecarinate.
The type of this genus is T~~@IHG-
tettix Zurida V. D. (Can. ent., v. 22, p. 250, I 890.) Jassus seminudus Say and
J. jucundus Uhl. seem to belong here,
but the latter has the head more pro-
duced and tumid without the transverse
impression on the vertex. All these
species recall the genus Phlepsius very
strongly, but there the sides of the pro- notum are always carinated and the
elytral areoles are more distinctly in-
scribed with brown pigment lines.
Thamnotettix subaenea Van Duzee
bears a decided resemblance to lurida,
but the sides of the pronotum are
strongly carinated and the elytral char- acters are those of Thamnotettix, in
which genus it should undoubtedly be
retained notwithstanding the difference
in the form of the vertex and its general resemblance to lurida.
In the genus Athysanus I have placed
the species ageeing with obsoletus
Kirschb., which I have considered our
most typical species.
In these the head
is about as wide as the pronotum, but
moderately produced before with the
anterior edge rounded and the apex
obtuse. Elytra broad scarcely longer
than the abdomen, or more frequently
shorter, broad and usually truncated at
apex, the apical areoles short and the
appendix narrow or wanting ; first sector connected with the second by but one
transverse nervure ; sides of the pronotum short, but feebly carinated. Here belong obsoletus Kii-schb., plutonius Uhl. and
comma V. D. of our fauna. The fol-
lowing species are smaller, with the
head more produced and conical, the
sides of the pronotum longer and with-
out a carina : curtisii Fitch, bicolor
V. D. and obtutus V. D.
Near Athysanus comes a form widely
distributed in this country, with narrow,. pointed elytra for which I have estab-
lished the following genus :
ACINOPTERUS n. g.
General appearance of Allygus, but with' the elytra strongly narrowed posteriorly, and the tip acute.
Head narrower than the pronotum,
rounded, or somewhat produced before, with the apex subacute, hind edge broadly con- cave. Vertex rather short, sloping, convex or more or less impressed behind the apex,. surface punctured, the anterior submargin obscurely transversely rugose, passage to the front rounded. Front rather broad, at the base slightly encroaching upon the apex of the vertex, suddenly narrowed at tip, Clypeus much widened apically. Lorae large. Cheeks wide. Pronoturn broad and rather short,
anterior edge broadly arcuate, posterior nearly straight; sides long, oblique, cari-



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.308 PSYCHE. [August 1892.
nated ; lateral angles prominent, latero-pos- terior rounded. Scutellum rather small.
Elytra narrow, lanceolate at apex, the tip acute, appendix wanting; sutural edge
straight to the extreme tip ; costal and apical margins continuous ; apical areoles five, inner small, oblique, second largest, reach- ing the extreme tip; third and fourth small ; fifth, or stigmatal, long and usually crossed by one 01- two transverse veinlets; first and second sectors united by but one transverse nervure, but there are usually three or four connecting the outer claval nervure with the claval suture ; all the nervures strong ; costa feebly convex. Supernumerary cell of the wings present. Otherwise as in Athy- sanus and Allygus.
ACINOPTERUS ACUMINATUS n. sp.
Fulvous-brown tinged with dull green or
yellowish, elytral nervures pale, brown- margined, Length 5-64 mnl.
Head pale. Front with about eight brown
arcs, more or less distinct.
Pronotum feebly
calloused on the anterior margin, with a few shallow impressions arranged parallel to the edge, more obvious in the males; lateral margin as long as the latero-posterior,
acutely carinated ; disc posteriorly obscurely wrinkled. Basal angles of the scutellum
with a brownish triangular spot more or less apparent. Pectoral pieces usually more or less invaded with blackish, sometimes pale and immaculate. Legs pale, or suffused with sanguineous. Abdomen pale, frequently
black above, excepting the broad lateral margins; infuscated on the basal and apical segments of the venter in the females;
slightly suffused with a pale median line in the males. Elytra pale fulvous, frequently whitish hyaline on the disc of the costal and some of the discal areoles of the coriurn, and on the inner margin of the clavus, the ex- treme apex clouded with smoky or even
blackish; nervures pale, edged with brown- ish, the marginal with a fuscous interruption at tip ; claval suture brown. Wings smoky, iridescent, nervures fuscous. Genitalia : Male: Valve wanting. Plates long and
narrow, a little longer than the last ventral segment, about one-third wider at base than at their obtusely lanceolate, divergent tips. Pygofers twice the length of the plates, nar- rowed and obtusely pointed at apex armed beyond the plates with numerous stout
spines. Female : Last ventral segment
rather long, hind edge with a shallow median notch, either side of which is a broadly rounded lobe, retreating at the outer angles. Pygofers rather broad, their subacute apex moderately exceeded by the oviduct.
Described from 5 <? ,3 9 .
Maryland,
Sept. 29th and Aug. 4th on pines
(Uhler) . N. Carolina (Osborn) . New
Jersey (Uhler) . Mountains of N. W.
Colorado (Gillette) . California (Co-
quillett) .
In a male from California the lower
surface of the femora are black. A fe-
male from N. Carolina has the disc of
the elytra white-primrose, and all the
specimens exhibit considerable varia-
tion in the extent of the black markings. The following species of Chlorotettix
are represented in my collection :
I. CHLOROTETTIX UNICOLOR Fitch.
Vertex 24 times as broad as long, but little longer at the middle than next the eye; an- terior margin very obtusely rounded. Front a little longer than broad, width at apex one- third that at the antennae. Cheeks narrow but feebly angled below the eye, forming a very narrow margin beyond the lorae. Cly- peus almost rectangular. Genitalia : Male : Valve short and broad, apical margin round- ed. Plates broad, sides a little concave, apices moderately produced, subacute, slight- ly divergent, with a few scattering spines on the margin. Female : Last ventral segment



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August 1S92.1
with a rather broad shallow, subacute, notch ; the edge of the thin lobe on either side, more or less sinuated or even notched. Pygofers surpassing the apex of the oviduct. Length 7^ mm.
This insect seems to be common
throughout the northern and eastern
States and Canada.
2. CHLOROTETTIX TERGATUS FITCH.
Character of the head same as those of the preceding species. Genitalia : Male : Valve broad triangular, apex obtuse.
Plates large,
broad, cove1 ing the pygofers, their sides very slightly sinnated, their tips broad and obtuse, a little inflexed and overlapping, submargin armed with a row of short spines, margin sparcely fringed with soft white hairs. Pyg- ofers produced superiorly in a prominent angle, and below in a curved bill-hook shaped appendage enclosing the styles. Female : Last ventral segment broad, outer angles rounded, apex truncated with a lanceolate notch reaching over half way to the base; pygofers equalling in length the
stout ovi-
duct. Length 7 mm.
This species appears to be coexten-
sive in range with the preceding than
which it is less abundant, at least in
western New York. It frequents damp
meadows and pastures where Carex
and other marsh grasses abound.
3. CHLOROTETTIX VIRIDIUS n. sp.
Form of C. unicolorand tergatus.
Smaller,
apple-green suffused with yellow on the
connexivum, or yellowish green in alcoholic specimens. Length 6-7 mm.
Front broad and convex, sutures curved
outward a little below the antennae; clypeus broad, almost rectangular; cheeks unusually broad, prominently angled below the eyes, margin beyond the lorae narrow.
Genitalia :
Male : Valve broad and short, resembling somewhat in form the ultimate ventral
segment than which it is a little shorter, apical margin gently arcuate. Plates nearly rectangular, transverse, hardly longer than the ultimate ventral segment, slightly pro- duced at their distal angles, outer angles rounded, margin with a few short spines and soft hairs. Pygofers Ungulate, about twice as long as the valve, whitish hyaline and thin in texture. Female: Last ventral segment broadly excavated from the prominent lateral angles nearly to the base on the median
line, the sides of this incisure, at about its middle, interrupted by a short, obtuse, black- ish tooth. Pygofers slightly exceeding the stout oviduct.
Color apple-green; connexivum and some-
times the edge of the dorsal segments washed with yellow; rostrum, base of the antennae, tarsi, spines of the posterior tibiae and the oviduct, soiled white or even fulvous. Elytra vitreous, slightly tinged with fulvous in the male, or green in the female ; nervures green- ish. Wings white, iridescent, nervures con- colorous. Eyes dark brown.
Described from six examples collected
near New York City by Mr. E. 3.
Southwick, in July; one female taken
at New Brunswick, N. J., July zoth, by
Prof. J. B. Smith, and numerous sped=
mens received from Mr. Howard Evarts
Weed, taken in Mississippi.
This interesting species may be dis-
tinguished from C. micolor and ter-
gatm, its nearest allies, by its smaller size, dark green color and the form of
the genitalia, which diflei- widely from those of any other species known to me.
Apparently it is very abundant in the
southern states where it replaces C.
unicolor and tergatus of our northern.
fauna.




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310 PSYCHE. [~ugust 1892.
4. CHLOROTETTIX GALBANATUS n. sp.
Form of C. unicolor but smaller, with a
longer vertex. Length 6 mm.
Female.
Head scarcely wider than the
pronotum. Vertex longer than in unicolor and obtusely pointed before, closely and coarsely punctured. Front longer and nar- rower and the apex proportionately broader than in unicolor. Cheeks obtusely angled below the eye, the edge straight from the angle to the tip of the clypeus forming a narrow margin beyond the lorae. Clypeus
broad, slightly widened apically. Pronotum longer than in unicolor; margin more convex before and more concave behind than in that species. Last ventral segment with a rather broad lingulate incisure
reaching' nearly to
its base and leaving a broadly rounded lobe on either side, the inner angles of which may be either rounded off or produced in a short tooth. Oviduct very slightly surpassing the pygo fers.
Color pale yellowish green, nearly uniform over the whole insect; elytra hyaline, costa green; tergum more or less embrowned,
margins yellowish ; wings white, nervures slender, pale brown ; eyes, tip of the rostrum, and the claws blackish.
Described from three examples re-
ceived from Mr. E. B. Southwick and
captured by him in the vicinity of New
York City in June and July ; and one
specimen taken by Mr. W. J. Palmer,
Jr., of this city, on Mt. Balsam, near
Asheville, N. C., in July, 1889. The
latter has the notch in the last ventral segment scarcely deeper than wide and
the outer angles more prominent than
in the New York examples. This spe-
cies differs from its congeners by its
produced, almost angular vertex and in
this respect is not characteristic of the genus in which I have placed it. In
the form of the last ventral segment it