June, 1916.] Matausch : Nymph-Variation of Enchenopa. 151 



NOTES ON A PECULIAR NYMPH-VARIATION OF 

 ENCHENOPA BINOTATA SAY. 



By Ignaz Matausch, 

 New York. 



Probably none of the native species of the Membracidce varies to 

 such an extent in its nymphal colors as Enchenopa binotata. In this 

 paper I have given an account of observations made during- 191 2 of 

 one of the most striking nymph forms of that species. 



On June 5, at Roselle. N. J., my son Herbert found an insect 

 w^hich at first I did not recognize as a Membracid, but on closer 

 examination I found to my surprise it was a nymph of that family 

 in the fourth stage, but with the porous covering very heavy, fuzzy 

 in appearance, silvery white in color and conspicuously marked with 

 deep velvety black. 



The specimen was found on a low Viburnum bush two to three 

 feet in height, near the place where my observations of the previous 

 year were made, and I tried to find more in the same locality, but at 

 first did not succeed. Later, however, my son found two more on 

 the same bush, and one near by on another Viburnum. Two of these 

 were in the fourth nymphal stage, and one in the fifth and were all 

 identical with that first collected. PI. IX, fig. a shows the fourth 

 stage; figs, b and c the fifth, highly magnified. Subsequently six more 

 were found, the last on June 29, and I observed that they always 

 occurred singly, and on the young shoot near, or on the petiole of 

 the leaf. Two of this lot however varied from those formerly taken, 

 in having light green markings in place of the black, except that the 

 sternum, mouth parts and upper portions of the legs ranged through 

 various shades of light brown. 



The temporary color occurring during the moulting period be- 

 tween the fourth and the fifth stages were observed by me in two of 

 the insects on June 23 and 24 respectively. These also differed 

 greatly from all these I have hitherto noticed in this species. Instead 

 of appearing in the characteristic yellow color with lateral red mark- 



1 Observations on the Life History of Enchenopa binotata Say in the 

 JouRN. N. Y. Entom. See, Vol. XX, No. i. March, 19 12. 



