32 The University Science Bulletin. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



The Membracidse, though primarily a tropical and subtropical 

 family, are nevertheless found widely scattered and are well repre- 

 sented in temperate regions. Authorities are agreed that they are 

 best represented in the fauna of Central and South America, but it 

 seems certain that when the fauna of Africa and Southern Asia have 

 been as carefully studied that these regions will also be found to be 

 very rich in these insects. 



Dr. W. D. Funkhouser gives the following distribution of the fam- 

 ily according to geographical life zones: 



Palearctic region: 



(Europe, the temperate parts of Asia, and the north of Africa; Iceland and 

 the ishinds of the Atlantic; limited by the Himalaj-as.) 



Very poorly represented. Only two or three genera on the entire continent 

 of Europe, but two species in Great Britain, two species in Russia, and none 

 reported from Iceland. A few in northern Africa, chiefly forms that have 

 migrated from the south. 



Ethiopian region: 



(Africa and its islands, except the northern parts; Arabia.) 

 Rich in genera and species. Little work has been done on these forms of 

 the family, but there is evidence of an abundant membracid fauna. 



Oriental region: 



(India and the East Indies.) 



Extremely rich both in number of forms represented and in number of in- 

 dividuals. The center of distribution for the subfamily Centrotinae. 



Australian region: 



(Australia, New Zealand and neighboring islands.) 



Well represented by rather distinct forms. The region has been fairly well 

 worked and has yielded a large number of species. 



Nearctic region: 



(America north of Mexico; Greenland). 



Forty or fifty genera, gradually becoming less abundant northward. A 

 few species common in Canada as far north as Peny Sound. None reported 

 from Greenland. 



Neotropical region: 



(Mexico, West Indies, Central and South America.) 



The most important of all the regions for the Membracidse. Central 

 America and the northern part of South America have yielded as many spe- 

 cies as all the rest of the world together. 



Altogether over 300 genera have been erected, which contain 

 something like 1,500 species. Many of these genera are found in 



