Vol. XXl] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 457 



Observations on Cicada pruinosa and a description 



of a new species. 



By WM. T. DAVIS. 



In ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS for April, 1907, Prof. Smith and 

 Mr. Grossbeck mention eight examples of Cicada pruinosa 

 Say from southern New Jersey. Say says of the species that 

 it is "found on the Missouri ; it is also very common in Penn- 

 sylvania. . . ." In July 1909 Mr. Geo. P. Engelhardt 

 collected a male pruinosa near Wilmington, N. C.. 



So far as I am aware nothing has been written of the song 

 and habits of this species, and so during the last week in Au- 

 gust, 1910, I visited Cape May Co., N. J., with the object of 

 finding out something about the insect. I had not long to 

 wait, for on the 26th, on the road leading westward from Cold 

 Spring, I heard in a hedge of large cedars and other tangle a 

 cicada's song quite new to me. Upon climbing up one of the 

 cedars I was pleased to capture the first pruinosa that I had 

 seen alive. There were several others in the hedge, but I 

 could not catch them. Later I found that the species was 

 quite general in the cedar woods, though occasional in the 

 deciduous forest as well. I collected one and heard many in 

 the cedar and pine woods near Fishing Creek, but they were 

 more numerous in a grove of red cedars, hollies, persimmon, 

 etc., standing near the shore between Higbee's Landing and 

 the Town Bank. I saw those females at their place, all on 

 the cedars, but I didn't catch any of them, though I collected 

 many males. At times there would be four or five singing 

 together, and then there would be a period of quiet, and one 

 might pass that way and never suspect the presence of Cicada 

 pruinosa. The song when heard at a considerable distance 

 might be taken for that of a bird; there is only a loud zape, 

 zape, sape, but upon a nearer approach the constant sing is 

 heard, so that the song may be rendered as z-zape, z-zape, 

 z-zapc, that is to say there is continuous zing with the zape 

 at pulsating intervals. The song commences with a low zing 

 or szs, and gradually breaks into an impetuous z-zape. Some- 



