figure 167, 



4b Prot 



5a Hind 



hopper 



HOW TO KNOW THE INSECTS 



Fig. 167. Ceresa bubalus Fab. The Buffalo 

 Tree-hopper. 



Light green. Seriously destructive to young 

 orchards through the scars left on the twigs 

 from egg laying. The nymphs feed on weeds. 

 Length 6-7 ram. (From U.S.D.A.) 



Professor Comstock has aptly suggested that 

 "Nature must have been In a Joking mood when 

 she made the treehoppers" . They are surely a 

 grotesque lot of little creatures with their 

 curiously distorted prothorax. Some species 

 doubtless get some good protection through 

 their resemblance to thorns as they stand head 

 down on the stems of plants. They do not have 

 a 100% faith in the program for when disturbed 

 move around to the opposite side of the stem, 

 - a queer thing for 'thorns" to do. 



horax not as in 4a 5 



tibiae with rowed spines on under side. (The Leaf- 



s) Fig. 168. Family 4, CICADELLIDAE 



Figure 163, 



Fig. 168. Platymetoplus acutus 



Say The Sharp-nosed Leaf- 

 hopper, (a, Adult; b, vertex and 

 pronotum; c, face; d, female gen- 

 italia; e, male genitalia; f, 

 elytron. ) 



Broi^vn, often with bronze lustre. 

 Face yellow, bordered with brown. 

 Length about 5mm. (From U.S.D.A.) 



This is the largest family of 

 homoptera. They are slender, 

 mostly sharp-nosed, quick Jump- 

 ing little insects. They are 

 often exceedingly abundant and 

 do much damage to plants. Many 

 species have two host plants and make regular seasonal migrations 

 from one to the other. 



5b Hind tibiae without spines except at end which has several 

 small spines and one or two large teeth. (The Spittle Insects 

 or Frog Hoppers.) Fig. 169. Family 2, CERCOPIDAE 



Fig. 169. Lepyronla quadrangular! s (Say) 



Dusky-gray to deep taimy-brovm . Spots 

 darker shades of ground color. Length 

 6-8 mm. 



The nymphs of the spittle insects hide 

 themselves in a mass of foam which is often 

 on a stem in the axils of the leaves. Birds 

 presumably do not think or care to probe 

 into this frothy mass when in search of 

 food. The adults which develop within 

 ... ^.^p, this protection are shaped somewhat like 



"^^^f/cinti leaf hoppers but are usually broader. 



Figure 169, 



85 



