1021.] FROGHOPPEli BLIGHT IN TRINIDAD. 55 



From St. Vincent there is a single specimen of the Trinidad frog- 

 liopper, in the collection of the British Museum, captured about 1890, 

 but in December 1917 I made a close search in the southern half of the 

 island and failed to find any. 



No froghoppers have ever been found in Barbados, St. Lucia, 

 Martinique, or the more northerly Lesser Antilles. Dominica has one 

 species, Tomaspis dominicana, of which the habits areimknown. 



In Cuba pastures and occasionally cane fields have been damaged by 

 Tomaspis bicincta. In 1916 the loss due to damaged pastures in the 

 province of Caminguey was about j£4,000. 



No damage has been reported from Jamaica, but several species of 

 froghoppers are known to occur there. 



In Surinam Toi)ias2ns tristis occasionally damages the canes. The 

 nymphs are not root feeders but are found two or three feet above the 

 ground on the cane and bases of the leaves. 



In British Guiana Tomaspis flavilatera was known as a minor pest 

 from 1909 to 1917 but the liarm done was neghgible. In 1918 however 

 an extensive outbreak occurred in three different localities and severe 

 damage was recorded. It is believed to have been related to certain 

 climatic and soil conditions. 



In Colombia Tomaspis bor/otoisis has for some years been recorded 

 as damaging pastures. 



In Panama To^naspis Icpidior has been mentioned as damaging cane 

 and grass, but apparently to no great extent. A froghoppcr of the genus 

 Clastoptera was found destroying the tlowers of cacao. 



In British Honduras damage was reported to sugar-cane by a frog- 

 hopper in 1883, but no recent particulars are available. 



In Mexico cane and pastures have been damaged for many years 

 past by Tomaspis postica. 



In Louisiana Tomaspis bicincta has been reported on cane without 

 doing any serious damage 



In the New York district grass is occasionally damaged by two 

 species of Philaenus. 



Roses and some pasture grasses in England and Jak and Cotton in 

 India have also suffered from other species of froghoppers. 



The text is given of the legislation in force in Barbados and St. 

 Lucia to prevent the introduction of the froghopper. ^ 



THE FROGHOPPEK. 



The scientific name of the insect is Tomaspis saccharina. The name 

 Tomaspis varia has been used in the past but there are reasons for not 

 retaining it in use. 



The species is only known from Trinidad, Grenada and possibly 

 St. Vincent. It is almost certainly native to Trinidad and not an 

 introduced insect. 



The adult insect is about one -third of an inch in length, dark brown, 

 with two transverse yellowish-brown bands on tlie wings. There is a 

 light variety which has in addition the basal portions of the wings light 

 in colour. 



