416 W. D. FUNKHOUSER 



widely distributed hymenopterous parasite of membracid eggs. Jack 

 (1886 b) reports egg parasites from this species of membracid, and Ash- 

 mead (1888:107) has described a new species, Trichogramma ceresarum 

 Ashm., from the same host. An egg parasite of Vanduzea arquata has been 

 recorded (Fimkhoiiser, 1915 f), but has not been reared. 



Parasites in nymphs and adults are very common but have never been 

 successfully reared. Larvae that were apparently hymenopterous have 

 been found in the abdomens of insects of various species of Telamona, 

 in Ceresa borealis, Carynota mera, Cyrtolobus vau, and Thelia himaculata, 

 but all attempts to bring the parasites to maturity have thus far proved 

 failures. It is now believed that more than one season may be required 

 to complete the life history of the parasites and that previous failures may 

 be due to the fact that sufficient time was not allowed for such develop- 

 ment. Matausch (1911) has reported similar parasitism in species of the 

 genera Telamona, Carynota, Thelia, and Glossonotus, which he believes 

 is responsi])lc for the destruction of the sexual organs; but he was equally 

 unsuccessful in rearing a single specimen of any of the parasites, altho 

 he presents an excellent figure of the larvae. Apparently there is some phase 

 of the life history of these parasites which does not lend itself to the usual 

 methods of rearing. Dr. S. I. Kornhauser, of Northwestern University, 

 reports, however, in correspondence, that he has been successful in rearing 

 the parasites of Thelia bimaculata, and states that they are Dryinidae 

 of the genus Aphelopus. 



A small red mite occasionally appears as an external parasite on Tela- 

 mona ampelopsidis and Thelia bimaculata, and Wildermuth (1915:359) 

 reports a similar mite {Erythraeus sp.) feeding on the eggs of Stidocephala 

 festina in the Southwest. 



BIRDS 



Very few of the local species are molested by birds. A few species 

 of birds have been observed feeding on the nymphs but usually neglecting 

 the adults, the latter being probably sufficiently protected from bird 

 enemies by the hard pronotum and sharp processes. Various species 

 of adult membracids have been thrown to birds m captivity; in general 

 these have been refused but in a few cases they have been picked up only 

 to be dropped again. Evidently the strong pronotal processes, which 

 are often sharp and hard enough to pierce the skin if the insect is seized 



