THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



39 



CICADID^ (Family). 



CICADAS. 



The cicadas are well-known insects, being commonly called harvest 

 flies or locusts in the eastern states. The proboscis rises plainly from 

 the head ; there are ocelli present ; the males have musical organs ; feet 

 with three segments and the antennaB are very small and bristle-like. 

 The eggs are laid by the female in small twigs, punctures being made 





Fig. 33. — The periodical cicada. {Tibicen septendecini 

 Linn.), a, pupa ready to transform; b, old pupal skin; 

 c, adult; d, egg-punctures; e, eggs. (After Riley.) 



by the ovipositor for their insertion. The damage is caused by these 

 egg-punctures. The young larvae hatch within a few weeks and con- 

 tinue throughout their existence under the ground, where they remain 

 for two or more years, depending upon the species : the so-called 17-year 

 locusts requiring about seventeen years in which to transform from the 

 larva to the adult. The pupa stage is passed in a small cell, also in 

 the earth. When ready to change into the adult the pupa or nymph 

 leaves the ground and crawls up some tree or shrub. The back splits 

 and the adult issues. These insects appear in such great numbers 

 during certain years as to become terrible pests, their depredations 

 being known as plagues. There are many species in California, 

 though none of them are as destructive as the 17-year locusts or the 

 periodical cicada of the eastern states. 



MEMBRACID^ (Family). 



TREE-HOPPERS. 



The membracids are rather small insects and generally characterized 

 by the prolongation of the prothorax which covers nearly the entire 



