Vol. 34, pp. 23-24 March 31, 1921 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



THE SMALLEST KNOWN LEAF HOPPER. 

 BY E. D. BALL. 





The writer received from Mr. Moznette some time ago a 

 number of very minute pale leaf hoppers said to be attacking 

 the avocado at Miami, Florida. This proved to be an Empo- 

 asca and not only the smallest species in that genus but also the 

 smallest leaf hopper yet described. Later sendings of material 

 included examples highly ornamented with black stripes and 

 markings of a very variable amount, two of the most stable 

 patterns of which have been designated as varieties. It is very 

 likely that this species will prove to be an introduced one 

 peculiar to the avocado. 



Empoasca minuenda, n. sp. 



Golden or pale yellow, minute, with a roundingly right-angled vertex. 

 Length, 2 mm. 



Vertex distinctly produced, roundingly right-angled, shorter than its 

 basal width, broadly rounding to the front. Pronotum slightly longer than 

 the vertex. Elytra longer than in typhlocyboides, resembling mali in form. 

 Venation of hind wing typical ; elytron with the first apical cell very broad 

 and extending nearly one-third its length beyond the base of the second 

 cell which is parallel margined ; the third cell very variable, usually small 

 and triangular but varying to long and parallel depending on whether the 

 second and third nervures arise as a single nerve and forking later or as 

 separate nervures which in extreme cases are parallel. 



Color. — Varying from a pale lemon to golden yellow with the scutellum 

 touched with orange and white. Eyes fuscous, tip of ovipositor often 

 brown above. The more golden specimens often show a pruinose white 

 area midway on the costa. 



Genitalia. — Female segment moderately rounding posteriorly, the margin 

 entire. Male plates long, triangular, the attenuate tip curved upward and 

 slightly individually rounded at the apices. 



2— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. 34, 1921. (23) 



