copied from: http://www.redpav-fpolar.info.ve/entomol/v05/0501b001.html (January 10, 2007)
Cocconotus insularis (Bruner, 1906)
This species was described (in the genus Bliastes Stal, 1873), on the basis of two females only, from the island of Trinidad, but without more exact locality. Beier (1960) was apparently unfamiliar with it and gives no information beyond what is in Burner's (1906) original description. He was, in fact, misled by the latter into indicating, in his key to species, that C. insularis has no inner genicular spine on the hind femur, whereas this is present, if small. Bruner (I.c.) stated that both genicular lobes are rounded (which is true), but he did not indicate whether or not they are spired, so that Beier (I.c.) assumed the negative. It may also be noted that the large, dark patch on the occiput may be less distinctly triangular than in the type specimens, or it may even be interrupted laterally by a pair of short, narrow, longitudinal, pale stripes. The ventral spines on the remora number: anterior, 34; middle, 3; posterior, 5-7. The male of C. insularis has not been described. It is similar to the female, except, of course, for the presence of the tegminal stridulatory apparatus (which is similar to that of C. cerdai, below, and for the sexual characters of the abdominal terminalia. The most characteristic feature of the latter is the form of the cercus. This is moderately stout and slightly curved inwards and bears an inwardly-directed apical spine, as well as a diagnostic, very long, acutely pointed, apical spur, almost as long as the body of the cercus, and directed obliquely downward and distal (Fig. 3C). The male subgenital plate in lateral view is quite straight (Fig.3D), in ventral view it is rather short and broad, parallel-sided in its distal two-thirds, its margins being strongly carinate and its apex having a broad V-shaped notch, styli straight, parallel, about a quarter as long as the subgenital plate proper (Fig. 3D).
The following specimens are known to me: TRINIDAD: St. Augustine, 21.1X.1926, H.A. Ballou, 1 male (det B.P. Uvarow, 1926, as Bliastes insularis) (in collection of Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture (I.C.T.A.), now Southern Campus of the University of the West Indies, Trinidad5) the same, 26.IV.1935, Ruth O'Connor, 1 female (I.C.T.A.5); the same X1.1940, H.S. Darling, Id juv. (in Lyman Entomological Museum (L.E.M.)); the same, on wall, 8.II1.1942, E. McC. Callan, 1 male juv. (I.C.T.A.5); the same, in garage, 22.III.1942, D.K. (McE.) Kevan, 1 male (I.C.T.A.?5); the same, open garage, 14.V.1942, D.K. (McE.) Kevan, 1< (L.E.M.); Mt: Aripo, among cacao at 1000 ft., lO.X.1942, D.K. (McE.) Kevan, 1G (I.C.T.A.?5); Caroni, 22.V.1961, N. Gopal, 1 female (L.E.M.); Arima Valley, simla, I.III.1966,V. (R.)Vickery, 1 male (L.E.M.).
