Myers. — Revision of the New Zealand Cicadidae. 2 47 



$ considerably larger. 



Long. corp. 19-23 mm. ; tegmen, 18-22 mm. 



For specimens of this species and all information respecting it I am 

 indebted to Mr. G. V. Hudson. It is the common alpine cicada of New 

 Zealand ; elevation, 2,500-4,000 ft. 



" Song extremely low — a short muffled rasp, followed by a very faint 

 shrill hiss, about one and a half times as long as the rasp. Written while 

 cicada was singing." (Hudson.) 



Distribution. — Dun Mountain ; Mount Earnslaw ; Kelly's Creek, Otira 

 (1,000ft.); Tapuaenuku, Marlborough; Mount Arthur; Lake Harris, 

 Wakatipu. Probably generally distributed on South Island mountains. 

 January, February. 



12. Melampsalta nigra n. sp (Plate XLV : fig. 1, <J ; fig. 2, $.) 



Very stout and squat. Shining deep black except where obscured 

 by dark pubescence and hairs. No signs of markings. Head with coarse 

 forwardly-directed black hairs. Eyes very deep brown. Ocelli red, sepa- 

 rated by a deep groove. Surface of head coarsely punctate, more or 

 less pubescent. Pronotum with two rugose grooves diverging from the 

 posterior median elevation. Pubescence pale and sparse, hairs long 

 and dark. Pronotum considerably wider than head. Mesonotum more 

 or less smooth. A little greyish short pubescence in $. Cruciform eleva- 

 tion prominent, uniformly black. Long dark hairs covering the thorax 

 are visible in profile. Abdomen short and thick. Dark hairs and greyish 

 pubescence, the latter prominent on the segmental margins of the female. 

 Last body-segment (preceding genital segments) pale in $. Dorsal portion 

 of genital segments shining black, sides and under flaps paler. Legs brownish, 

 except anterior pair which are black. Tegmina and wings suffused with 

 brown. Veins very heavy and black. 



Sexes similar in size. Long. corp. 16 mm. ; tegmen, 16 mm. 



For specimens of this insect and all information regarding it I am 

 indebted to Mr. Hudson. 



Distribution. — Arthur's Pass : rocks and shingle in hot afternoon 

 sunshine; 4,600-5,200 ft. 11th February, 1920. 



" On eastern side of Arthur's Pass (4,500-5,200 ft.) there are shingle- 

 patches and mountain-grass interspersed. Here a new species of cicada 

 was abundant. Extremely wary and difficult to approach. Note of male 

 very short, quick, faint, and low-pitched — quite different from that of 

 M. quadricincta" (Hudson.) 



13. Melampsalta iolanthe Huds. (Plate XLV, fig. 9, $.) 



Cicada iolanthe Hudson, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 23, p. 53, 1891 ; 

 Man. N.Z. Ent., p. 119, 1892. Cicadetta iolanthe Kirkaldy, Trans. 

 N.Z. Inst., vol. 41, p. 27, 1909. 

 Head very hairy, fuscous. Notum dark olive-brown with indistinct black 

 markings, pubescent. Anterior and posterior borders of mesonotum glabrous, 

 reddish-brown. Cruciform elevation reddish-brown, ridged. Abdomen black, 

 segmental margins brown or reddish. Costa reddish-brown. Genital seg- 

 ments reddish. Ventral surface pubescent. Body exceedingly short and stout. 

 Wings short. Median markings absent. 

 Long. corp. 15 mm. ; tegmen, 16 mm. 



Distribution. — Taupo ; Nelson; Canterbury (Hutton) ; Wellington 

 (Hudson). 



This is the smallest species. December to March. (Hudson.) It has 

 become rather rare, and I have not yet taken a specimen myself. 



