Myers. — Revision of the New Zealand Cicadidae. 243 



Abdomen almost uniform bronze or greenish-bronze, sometimes segmental 

 margins greener, or reddish. Ventral surface — <J greenish ; abdomen dark ; 

 opercula pale-greenish : $ pale yellowish-green ; abdomen with dark median 

 stripe. Tegmina — distal end of fifth ulnar area more acute than in any other 

 species. Costa olivaceous. Eighth apical cell twice as long as broad. 



Long slender body, tapering antero-posteriorly ; tegmina long. Long, 

 corp. 16-20 mm. ; tegmen, 21-25 mm. 



Distribution. — Wellington ; Wanganui. 



" Exceedingly sad and feeble song " (Hudson). Easily recognized by 

 the almost inaudible note, bronzy colour marked with green or reddish, and 

 slender build. Prefers low herbage and bushes, and is less wary than the 

 other species, though extremely difficult to locate. The eighth apical cell 

 of the tegmen is always easily twice as long as broad. 



This species is very frequently caught in Epeirid-spider webs. January 

 to middle of May. 



5. Melampsalta muta Fabr. (Plate XL VI : fig. 5, <J ; fig. 6, $.) 



Tettigonia muta Fabr., Syst. Ent., 681, 17, 1775. Cicada cutora 

 Walk., Cat. Horn. B.M., 172, 1850 C. ochrina Walk., I.e., 

 Suppl. 34, 1858. C. aprilina Hudson, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 23, 

 p. 53, 1891. Melampsalta cuterae Kirby, Trans. N.Z. Inst., 

 vol. 28, p. 456, 1896. M. muta Distant (part), Ann. Mag. Nat. 

 Hist., vol. 9, p. 326. 1892. Cicadetta aprilina Kirkaldv, Trans. 

 N.Z. Inst., vol 41, p. 28, 1909. 



" A long series of this insect {cuterae) stood in the British Museum 

 collection under the name of Cicada muta (our M. cruentata), among which 

 were only two specimens really belonging to the latter species. This is 

 probably the reason why Mr. Distant so positively maintains that C. aprilina 

 is not distinct from C. muta " (i.e., out cruentata). (Kirby, I.e., p. 456. The 

 parentheses are mine.) 



General colour wholly and invariably vivid grass-green. Two short longi- 

 tudinal black lines on anterior portion of mesonotum. Remainder green. 

 Cruciform elevation — two brownish-green swellings with a grass-green pro- 

 jection between them. Golden longitudinal median stripe on abdomen only. 

 Legs pale green with red tarsi. Mesosternum pale reddish (black in 

 cruentata). Tegmina — veins green, olive-green, or reddish-brown. 

 Long. 19-21 mm. ; tegmen, 23-27 mm. 

 Sexes similar ; practically no variation. 



Distribution. — Wellington; Auckland; Taupo. No authentic South 

 Island records. 



This is an extremely beautiful and very distinct species, differing from 

 M. cruentata, its nearest relative, in markings, habits, note, habitat, time 

 of greatest abundance, and sometimes in size. It is essentially the cicada 

 of the bushes. As its colour might indicate, leaves are its habitual 

 environment, whence its rather harsh note is frequently heard late in the 

 season ; but it is amazingly difficult to detect its location. The note is 

 monotonous and insistent, with no variation. It is much louder than that of 

 M . cruentata, with a grating, harsh quality absent from the notes of the 

 other cicadas. 



February and March. One female of this species was taken at electric 

 light in the evening. 



