2 24 The Ohio Naturalist. [Vol. 11, No. 5. 



REMARKS ON THE STUDY OF LEAF-HOPPERS. 



Herbert Osborn. 



Although the lycaf-hoppers ( Jassidae ) are among the most 

 abundant of our insects and present many problems of scientific 

 and economic importance, they have received very meagre atten- 

 tion from American students. But ver}' few localities in the 

 United States have been collected with sufficient care to determine 

 what the native species may be, and while we know that many 

 of the species have a wide distribution, the limits of most are but 

 very vaguely determined. 



The object of this note is to call attention to the group ; to 

 show how easily the species may be collected and preserved and 

 give some hints as to the means of identification. 



In general the insects of the group are of small size, scarcely 

 an}^ exceeding half an inch in length and many are extremely 

 minute. As a result they are very inconspicuous and readil}^ 

 escape notice except when specially sought for. They frequent 

 all kinds of vegetation, though in the majority of cases each 

 species has its particular kind of food plant and generally whole 

 genera will be limited to some particular group of plants, certain 

 ones affecting grasses, others willows, others grape, thorn, etc. 



The methods of collecting must be adapted to the plants on 

 which they occur, those living on trees being caught with an 

 umbrella which is held inverted under branches, which are jarred 

 by striking with a stick, or b}- use of a beating net of strong mus- 

 lin. The beating net ma}' also be used for brushing over shrubs 

 and rough herbage, but the most generally useful net for these 

 insects is a sweeping net made of cheese cloth. If caught in the 

 umbrella the cyanide bottle must be in readiness to at once capture 

 those that may be detected, as some of the species take flight very 

 quickly. Others are more sluggish and may be picked up more 

 at leisure. The sweep net after being brushed over the tops of 

 the plants a few times is examined with the cyanide bottle held 

 in readiness in one hand, the mouth closed with the thumb, the 

 hoppers being taken in by slipping the bottle over them as they 

 crawl up the sides of the net or jmnp from one side to the other. 

 A little practice will enable one to judge of their movements, 

 which vary somewhat with different species, so as to hold the net 

 in the best shape to prevent loss of desired specimens. One soon 

 learns to recognize different forms so as to capture only so many 

 as are wanted of each kind. Man>- of the species, however, look 

 very much alike to tlie uninitiated and it is not safe to rely on 

 general ai)pearancj till characters are known. 



It is better to have two or three small cyanide bottles while 

 collecting (tubes with a mouth just large enough to be coxered 



