Herbert Osborn and Carl J. Drake.
Notes on Tingidae.
Psyche 24(5):155-161, 1917.

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19171
Osbwn and DrakeÌÔNote on Tingidas
NOTES ON TINGIDB.
BY HERBERT OSBORN and CARL J. DRAKE.
In recent numbers of PSYCHE,^ Mr. H. M. Parshley has pre- sented articles on Tingidse in which he has called attention to what he considers errors in articles written by the writers and offered numerous criticisms that it seems necessary to note. In so far as these criticisms and corrections are warranted they are of course to be welcomed, but there are many instances in which a careful reexamination of material studied and a study of material coming to hand since our papers were published fail to establish the validity of Mr. Parshley's criticisms. Some of these are considered in the following notes and others are discussed in a paper in the Ohio Journal of Science. (Vol. XVII, pp. 295-307.) Fenestrella ovata Osborn & Drake (Plate VIII, Fig. d). The criticism by Parshley of the drawing of this species in his second paper is quite inaccurate as a comparison of the photograph (Fig. d) of the type with the drawing will indicate. The state- ment, "the base of the third antennal segment is slightly capitate," is entirely absurd as there is no such structure present, and, further- more, capitate refers to a structure at the distal end of a segment. We have recently received a second specimen of this unique little form from Ohio.
Key to the Nearctic Species of Physatocheila. 1-Rostrum short, reaching between the intermediate cox= P. brevirostris Osb. & Drk.
Rostrum considerably longer and of various lengths. . . . . . . .2 2-Rather large insects (length 4.6 mm.), second antennal seg- ment small at the base and much enlarged at the apex. P. major n. sp.
Smaller insects (length 4 mm. or less), second antennal seg- ment not as the above. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 %-Rostrum not extending beyond the apex of the rostra1 sulcus; outer costate nervure that bounds discoidal area nearly straight; color dull, uniform yellowish-brown. P. parshleyi n. n. (= plexa Parsh.)
>December, 1916; February, 1917.




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156 Psyche [October
Rostrum reaching more or less beyond the rostra1 sulcus; outer costate nervure that bounds discoidal area sinuate; color either brownish, or brownish more or less tinged with yellow, or brown or grayish- brown variegated with pale cinereous and black, or cinereous.
P. plexa Say ( = P. variegata Parsh.)
Physatocheila parshleyi nom. nov. ( = P. plexa Parsh.). This species was described by Parshley iti his first paper as the true form of P. plexa Say.
Although the species meets the
requirement of the writer's contracted form of Say's description and his assumed characters of a true plexa it is distinctly at vari- ance with the original description if taken in its entirety. Com- pare as follows: (Say) "Body brownish, more or less tinged with yellow" surely cannot be the same as (Parshley) "Uniform dull yellowish brown"; (Say) "two series of which on the lateral margins are a little larger,'' in reference to the reticulations of the elytra is hardly identical with (Parshley) "Costal area of the hemielytra with two almost regular series of areoles"; the rostrum is not mentioned in the original description of plexa and the length of the rostrum is entirely an assumed character by Parshley. It
might be well to note that the length of the rostrum is not given by Say in any Tingid description, also that this species has never been taken in the regions where Say did his entomological work. In as far as we know this species has only been taken in the New England States and eastern Canada; plexa is a common species in the states where Say worked and our collections include numer- ous specimens of this species from Portland, Oregon, to the Atlan- tic Ocean. The structures mentioned in the key will readily sep- arate this species from allied forms and the other characters can be noted in Parshley's first paper under plexa Say. Physatocheila plexa Say, Uhler, Heidemann, Osborn & Drake (= variegata Parshley, but not plexa) .
The conclusions drawn by Parshley in his first paper are based on a special interpretation of Say's description and a few assumed characters as indicated below.




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p17} O s h and DraleeÌÔNote on TingzXce 157 PAKSHL~EY. SAY.
'C
, . . brownish, more or "Body brownish, more or less less tinged with yellow," and tinged with yellow, with dilated ec
. . . two series [of reticu- approximate punctures; head latiom] . . . on the lateral with three elevated lines: thorax margins . . . [of the hemi- not dilated on the sides; with elytra] . . . .
i?
three elevated lines: scutel also
with three elevated lines: hemi-
elytra with small, symmetrical,
orbicular reticulations of new-
ures; two series of which on
the lateral margins are a little
larger; those near the inner
margin of the membrane also a
little larger."
The color description of plexa is rather indefinite as only the color of the body is mentioned by Say and this is not of a constant and uniform color as distinctly indicated by the words, " w e or less t$nged with yellow." By omitting "of which'' Paxshley gives a different meaning to the portion of the description which de- scribes the lateral margins of the elytra, and, furthermore, in the form' that the author calls uariegata (= plma Say) the costal area is not always either triseriate or averaging three rows of areolae as stated in the description. Evidently, the writer failed to study all his paratypes as Pig. 1, b will indicate; this is a photo- Fig. 1. a, 6, and c, PhyuctocheSa
ma Say (= variegaia Pareh.): d, P.
f
major. n. B. p. (Photographs by Car S. Drake.)



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158 Psyche [October
graph of the paratype from Wellesley, Mass., which was sent to the junior author by Parshley as a typical form of variegata. As stated under parshieyi, Say never mentioned the length of the rostrum in any Tingid, and the length there given is only an assumed character.
Our collections include specimens from Oregon (Portland), Idaho, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Virginia, New York, and Massachusetts. Stil also records the species from "Illinois."
This series of specimens indicate the
species to be quite variable, especially in color, length of rostrum, and in number of rows of areolse in costal area, but there seems to be no distinct variety. The many variations in color may be noted in the key. Our Illinois specimens are almost of a uni- form brownish color and the costal area is quite uniformly biseri- ate. The costal area of the elytra is either uniformly biseriate, or triseriate, or more or less irregularly triseriate, or with various intermediate forms between bi- and triseriate. The length of the rostrum is quite variable, always extending beyond the end of the rostra1 sulcus, but never reaching beyond the posterior margin of the second abdominal segment. In taking the length of the rostrum one should always note the position of the head and prothorax. In the senior author's collections are specimens de- termined by Uhler and Heidemann.
The specimen determined
by Heidemann is listed by Parshley as a paratype under variegata from Berkeley Springs, Va.
Physatocheila major sp. nov.
Head armed with five spines, the spines arranged as in plexa Say. Antenniferous tubercules large, curved inwardly. Antennae clothed with fine short hairs; basal segment swollen, a little longer than the second; second segment short, small at the base and strongly swollen at the tip; third segment longest, slenderest, about two and a half times the length of the fourth; fourth segment fusiform. Pronotum tricarinate, the carinse low and uniseriate; lateral margins as in related species; hood a little larger than in other Nearctic species. Rostra1 sulcus broad, the rostrum almost reaching posterior margin of second abdominal segment. Elytra a little longer than the abdomen, broadly rounded at the apex; costal area rather broad, irregularly areolate, with two or three confused rows of areolse; discoidal area a little broader and the



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outer boundary slightly more sinuate than in 'plexa. Wings slightly longer than abdomen. Abdomen quite broad in both male and female.
Length, 4.6 mm.; width, 1.8 mm.
Color.-General color brownish, slightly marked with yellowish and black. Antennse brownish, the distal half of apical segment blackish,
Two specimens, a male and female from Urbana, Illinois. The photograph illustrates the type specimen; all specimens of Physa- tocheila are equally enlarged. This species is readily separated from allied forms by its larger size and the second segment of the antennte. Melmorhopola diayi Osbom & Drake (Plate VIII, Fig. e) . The form of this species
is not very broad when
compared with females of
other species in the genus.
The third antenna1 segment
is slightly enlarged towards
the apex and the distal
segment is decidedly conical
rather than fusiform as
stated by Parshley in his
second paper. The photo-
graph of the type will
illustrate the structures
mentioned. All pho'to-
aphs of the species in this
nus are of the same mag-
ification and the antenna
mat me propor-
between the same or
t species are quite
have been placed in a hori-
zontal position with the
11 I . -1 a. ~ 1 - .. .....
late VIII, Pigs. a, b and c) ,
This is a common and
--I1 I--- :.. LL*
.fig. Ìö Mes-anwriwpwt fluryt
h enlarged. (Photo by Dra




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160 Psyche [October
eastern part of United States. Our most western records are Iowa and Nebraska. The photographs show the difference between the short winged and long winged forms, also the ex- treme variations in the lengths of the antennae. Melanorhopola uniformis St&l (Plate VIII, Fig. f). This species, as we determined it, is quite closely allied to lurida. The photograph represents the South Dakota specimen listed in our Ohio bulletin.
Melanorhophola lurida StAl (Plate VIII, Figs. h and g). Parshley has erroneously stated the length of the antennae of this species in his second paper. The antennae either slightly exceed, equal, or fall considerably short of the tip of the abdomen; the third segment is also more or less swollen near the apex. The
lateral margins of the pronotum are either vertical or reflexed more or less against the surface of the pronotum. The form of lurida , and uniformis is also very much confused and not based on speci- mens of the same sex. The male of lurida is narrow, but the female is as broad or broader than the female of uniformis. The male of uniformis is unknown to us. The Figures f (uniformis) and g (lurida) illustrate the short winged females of the two species; Figure h is the macropterous male of lurida. The two specimens of lurida show almost the extreme variations in the length of the Photographs by Carl J. Drake.
Figs. a, b, and c.
Melanorophola clavata StAl (a, macropterous female; b and c, brachypterous females, the latter with short antennae).
Fig. d. Fenestrella ovata Osborn and Drake (type greatly en- larged).
Fig. e.
Melanorophola duryi Osborn and Drake (type). Fig. f. Melanorophola uniformis StAl (brachypterous female). Figs. g and h. Melanorophola lurida St&l (g, brachypterous female with short antennae; h. macropterous male with long an- tennse) .




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