Myers. — Revision of the New Zealand Cicadidae. 241 



1. Melampsalta cingulata Fabr. (Plate XLV : fig. 5, S ; fig. 6, ?.) 



Tettigonia cingulata Fabr., Syst. Ent., 680, 9, 1775. Cicada cingulata 

 Hudson, Man. N.Z. Ent., p. 118, 1892; Trans. N.Z. Inst.. 

 vol. 23, p. 50, 1891. C. zealandica Boisduval, Voy. " Astrolabe," 

 Ent., pi. 10, fig. 6, 1832. C. indivulsa Walk., Cat. Horn. B.M 

 Suppl. 33, 1858. Cicadetta cingulata Kirkaldy, Trans. N.Z. Inst., 

 vol. 41, p. 28, 1909. 

 Head black ; frons with pale - brownish median area, continuing on 

 vertex. Notum black. Pronotum with median, longitudinal yellow or green 

 streak. Mesonotum with five more or less interrupted green or ochraceous 

 longitudinal stripes, the median one very short. Cruciform elevation forms 

 two diverging green crescents. Abdomen black. Segments edged with 

 spots or broken lines of brown and more or less silvery pubescence. In 

 female seventh abdominal segment cinctured more or less conspicuously 

 with yellow. Ventral surface — abdomen usually uniform black ; some- 

 times brown with black segmented margins. Tegmina — costa strongly bowed 

 at distal end of radial area, brown or olivaceous. Distal ends of first and 

 second ulnar areas black. Bases of tegmina and wings green or olivaceous. 

 Long. corp. 22-26 mm. ; tegmen, 35-40 mm. 



Distribution. — Auckland to Southland (Hutton). December to April. 

 This is probably, by reason of its size, abundance, and loud note, the 

 most conspicuous species of the family. In habits it is essentially arboreal, 

 delighting to perch on bare trunks and the larger branches, though posts 

 and even buildings in the towns are not disdained. At Wanganui I have 

 counted at many as thirty-nine on a single telegraph-post. The extreme 

 wariness of this cicada, together with its habit of perching at a consider- 

 able height, renders it a difficult insect to catch. One of the " vegetable- 

 caterpillar " fungi, Coryceps Sinclair ii, attacks this species both in the final 

 nymphal and in the imaginal instars. M. cingulata is nearest M. strepitans, 

 from which it is distinguished by its larger size, longer tegmina with 

 greenish basal areas, and very varied song 



2. Melampsalta strepitans Kirkaldy. (Plate XLV, fig. 7, 3 .) 



Cicada cingulata var. obscura Hudson, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 23, p. 51, 

 1891. Cicadetta strepitans Kirkaldy, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 41, 

 p. 28, 1909. 



In colour and markings resembles M. cingulata ; but abdomen more 

 often concolorous, and pattern extremely indistinct. Silvery pubescence, 

 especially on abdomen, much more pronounced than in M. cingulata. Bases 

 of tegmina and wings clouded with orange. Costa olivaceous, strongly bowed 

 at distal end of radial area. Proximal junctions of ulnar veins separated 

 much farther than in M. cingulata. 



Body very short and stout ; tegmina short and broad. Long. corp. 

 19-21 mm. ; tegmen, 22-24 mm. 



Distribution. — Kekerangu ; Tasman River, Mount Cook (Hudson) ; 

 Wellington ; Christchurch. December to February. 



This very distinct species was discovered by Mr. Hudson on boulders 

 in a river-bed of the Kaikoura Mountains, Marlborough. Its song was 

 described as loud and chattering. I have taken it in February on a rocky 

 slope at the top of the cliff near Red Rocks, Wellington, where it was 

 discovered by Mr. T. Cockcroft. The note is loud and distinct, differing 



