Menida Motschulsky

Type Species: Menida: Menida violacea Motschulsky, 1861, by subsequent designation (Distant, 1902). Stromatocoris: Stromatocoris amoenus Jakovlev, 1876 (= Menida scotti Puton, 1886), by subsequent designation (Kirkaldy, 1909). Pygomenida: Pentatoma varipennis Westwood, 1837, by original designation.

Comments: This is a large and variable genus, with only a few regional keys available. It is much in need of revisionary work.

Key to West & Central African Species of Menida (modified from Linnavuori, 1982)
(tuula and versicoloratus not included in key)

1 Second antennal segment very small, 0.26 times as long as the third segment; segments III-V incrassate	vanessae Leston
- Second antennal segment much longer, apical segments gracile	2

2(1) Body elongate, rather parallel-sided, at least twice as long as broad	3
- Body much shorter and broader, ovate	5

3(1) Juga longer than and meeting in front of tylus	circumscripta Schouteden
- Juga and tylus subequal in length	4

4(3) Posteroventral margin of pygofer with medial emargination broad, U-shaped	maculiventris (Dallas)
- Posteroventral margin of pygofer with only small, shallow V-shaped emargination	archias Linnavuori

5(2) Head very short, broad, about 0.55-0.57 times as long as broad, nearly semicircular in outline; scutellum very broad, slightly shorter than broad	parva Rider
- Head much longer; scutellum longer and narrower	6

6(5) Body with long erect hair covering	villosa Linnavuori
- At most venter with long erect hairs	7

7(6) Pale whitish yellow; puncturing dark, transverse segmental margins of connexivum black; venter with long erect hairs; tibiae with very long erect hairs, much longer than breadth of tibia	eburnea Schouteden
- With distinct dark pattern; venter with short hair covering; tibial hairs at most slightly longer than breadth of tibia	8

8(7) Scutellum about 1.05-1.07 times as long as broad, very broad apically	gratiosa (Stål)
- Scutellum much narrower and longer	9

9(8) Lateral margins of pronotum strongly curvate, disk remarkably convex	compta Linnavuori
- Lateral margins of pronotum at most slightly curvate, disk moderately convex	10

10(9) Body broad; disk of pronotum distinctly raised between punctures, formint transverse confluent ridges; scutellum strongly tapering apicad, apex narrow; elytra largely dark brown, mesocorium with elongate pale subapical spot along Cu vein; connexivum brown, laterally pale	perpunctata (Signoret)
- Body elongate; disk of pronotum between punctures moderately convex, but without ridges; scutellum moderatelytapering apicad, lateral margins of apical part nearly parallel, apex broad; elytra pale; connexivum immaculate, pale	transversa (Signoret)

David A. Rider
Professor of Entomology
North Dakota State University
202 Hultz Hall
Fargo, ND 58105
E-Mail: David.Rider@ndsu.edu