Vol. XXII, pp. 197-204 December 8, 1909 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



SOME REMARKABLE NEW LEAF-HOPPERS OF THE 

 FAMH.Y FULGORID.E. 



BY ELMER D. BALL. 



While collecting Homoptera upon the l)urning sands of a 

 Southern California desert a few j-ears ago, the writer came 

 upon a leaf-hopper of grotesque and unusual appearance, in 

 that it stood almost upright upon its long and apparently 

 unwieldly legs. Short and stout with a body almost as round 

 as a pea, on which rested tlie rudimentary brachypterous elytra 

 and above which projected a long, pointed, cephalic process, the 

 insect would have attracted attention in any case. When, how- 

 ever, this bizarre form Avas coupled with an upright posture and 

 a peculiar strut or swagger in locomotion, the resemblance to a 

 pot-bellied Brownie of the children's page was complete. 



Further collecting in similar situations in the arid West re- 

 vealed a number of related forms possessing the elongated legs 

 and a more or less upright posture. These forms also agreed 

 in another particular, the rostrum in every case was remarkal)ly 

 long, in some of the more upright species extending beyond the 

 tip of the abdomen. This, on further study, appeared to be an 

 adaptation to the upright habit, as the insect instead of carrying 

 its rostrum inclined forward as most lenf-hoppers do in feeding, 

 fed with the rostrum running down along the abdomen, and 

 extending beyond it into the plant tissue. The whole arrange- 

 ment was apparently an adaptation for the purpose of raising 

 the insect's body to escape the burning heat of the sands. 



Ten species in all were found in the Western States, only one 

 of which, Orgerius rhi/parus Stal, has been described. The 

 remaining nine species, the types of all of Avhich are in the 

 author's collection, are described below. 



32— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XXII, lyO',). (19') 



