[translated from Beier 1960 pp. 19-21, 26]
8th genus Xiphophyllum n. gen.
Species typica: Diophanes atrosignatus Brunner von Wattenwyl.
D i a g n o s i s: Brown or green medium-sized animals. Frons slightly broader than high, delicately punctated. Fastigium verticis triangular, sulcate, not surpassing margins of antennal sockets, with basal tubercles. Scapus of antennae with terminal spine. Vertex short. Pronotum very densely and coarsely, often rugosely or callosely granulated, without side edges, not saddle-shaped; anterior and posterior margin almost not bordered [gerandet], the first slightly arcuate, the latter roundedly truncate; transverse furrows fine, but fairly acutely cut in, the posterior one more deeply, straight or slightly curved, crossed by a short longitudinal furrow: metazona flat, al least 1.5 times as long as mesozona; side lobes much longer than high, with almost straight, bulgingly bordered [wulstig gerandet] ventral margin and broadly rounded anterior and posterior corners, the first almost rectangular, the latter slightly obtuse-angled. Flight organs well developed. Tegmina fairly coarse, leathery, not shiny, with dense and uniform reticulation, almost parallel-sided, obtusely pointed or narrowly rounded, the tip lying in the prolongation of R, since the costal margin is apically only little, whereas the anal margin strongly curved, venation little salient; costal area about half as broad as postradial area; Sc and R basally distinctly separated, distally converging, Sc pre-apically abruptly curved to costal margin; Rs originating mostly close to the middle or more proximal; M and Cu with short common stem, slightly unsteady, ending in the curvature of the anal margin. Left male stridulatory field opaque or with speculum. Alae almost hyaline, with slight yellowish or smoky tinge, and broad anal area. Prosternum with2 spines. Meso- and metasterm transverse, the first with more or less erected triangular side lobes, the latter posteriorly narrowed, with short, very deep, and curved transverse pit. Femoral spines mostly delicate, sometimes blackened. Forefemora at most 1.5 times as long as the pronotum, not compressed. Only the genicular lobes of middle femora unarmed, all others with termimal spine. Middle tibia almost always with 2 dorsal spinules. Dorsal internal spines of hind tibiae only slightly larger than the external ones. Terminal tergite often more or less blackened, in male slightly emarginate. Supra-anal plate mostly a little longer than broad, broadly rounded. Male cerci normal or strongly modified, compact and with 2-3 terminal spine-like processes. Male subgenital plate with broad, short basis, and a long, narrow, sulcate sword-like terminal portion, which is often significantly longer than the pronotum, styli always very small, flattened or round. Female subgenital plate triangular, pointed or incised, basally flanked by 2 thick plates. Ovipositor fairly robust, almost straight, the ventral margin slightly curved, the well-developed kink of the dorsal margin close to middle, with tiny and oblique subapical folds.
D i s t r i b u t i o n: northern South America, Central America.
I. Subgenus Proteroxiphus n. subgen.
Species typica: Bliastes connexus Brunner von Wattenwyl
D i a g n o s i s: Cerci of male normal, almost straight or only little curved, with inward-curved terminal spinule.
II. Subgenus Xiphophyllum s. str.
Species typica: Diophanes atrosignatus Brunner von Wattenwyl
D i a g n o s i s: Cerci of male stronly modified, short and compact, distally broadened and flattened, with 2 or 3 claw-shaped terminal spines.
