Biology of the Membracidae of the Cayuga Lake Basin 403 



and Lasiis and probabh' derive much of their food from membi'aeids 

 and coccids." 



The behavior of both the ants and the membracids is much the same in 

 all the cases studied. The ants stroke their charges with their antennae, 

 whereupon the membracids give off from the anal tube a liquid that 

 issues in bubbles in considerable quantity. The anal tube of the mem- 

 bracid is capable of great evagination, especially in the nymphs, in which it 

 is long and cylindrical and usually tipped with a fringe of fine hairs. The 

 honeydew is eagerly taken from the end of this tube by the ants. In 

 many species the adults as well as the nymphs are sought, and the ants 

 seem to be as attentive to one as to the other but the adults have not 

 been observed to excrete the liquid to the same extent as the nymphs. 

 In general the mutual relationship in the family seems to be much the same 

 as that found between the ants and the aphids. That the ants are well 

 repaid for their attendance can hardly be doubted when their industry 

 around the congregations of Membracidae is noted. In many cases the 

 hiding places of the membracid njaiiphs are at once betrayed by the 

 swarms of ants present. It is not believed that the ants herd or segregate 

 their charges as in the case of certain insects of the Aphididae, but shelters 

 for membracid nymphs are not uncommon. 



The advantage to the membracid is evident by the protection given by 

 the ants, which do not hesitate to bite viciously the fingers of the collector 

 who seeks to remove nymphs or adults from the host. The ants have been 

 observed also to attack spiders and attempt to drive away Reduviidae 

 in the neighborhood of membracid colonies. 



It has been suggested in a preceding paragraph that in some cases the 

 ants may take advantage of the punctures made by the membracids to 

 procure sap. The best evidence of this is the fact that ants often remain 

 gathered about the spot where the membracid has fed after the latter 

 has moved away, and apparently they find something there to attract them. 

 This may be explained, of course, by the theory that anal fluid from the 

 membracid has been left on the plant, but it does not account for the fact 

 that the ants are often at the anterior rather than the posterior end of 

 the insect. 



The part played by ants in other activities of the Membracidae is a 

 mooted question. Miss Branch (1913:84-85) believes that the attendance 

 of ants is necessary to the molting process in Entylia sinuata, and states: 



