1920 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. ?:] 



It is in tlie nymphal stage tliat they live within the frothy mass mentioned 

 above. This substance is manufactured by the newly hatched nymph and they 

 live within it until they emerge as adults. It was formerly supposed that this 

 was made by thrashing about of the oval end of the body in a clear viscid fluid 

 exuded from the posterior end of the body. Prof. E. S. Morse has, however, care- 

 fully observed the operation and states that the bubbles are made as follows: 

 the insect exudes a clear viscid fluid from the posterior end of the abdomen, after 

 a short time the posterior end of the abdomen is extended out of the fluid and 

 as it were, grasps a quantity of air and then it is pulled down into the fluid and, 

 the air released, making a bubble. This is continued at the rate of seventy or, 

 eighty times a minute. The tail is moved alternately to and fro so that the bubbles 

 are distributed around its body. 



Now what is the exudate for? According to most students it is a protective 

 covering which, even if it is conspicuous, apparently serves the creature well. It 

 is said that wasps know that in this juicy covering there is a goodly meal for 

 their young and that they dive in and take the unfortunate nymph to its nest 

 to feed its offspring. However, it would appear that it protects the young Cercopid 

 well, both from the sun and from the ravages of spiders, birds, etc. 



Dr. Ball has given some interesting facts upon Cercopidae living in arid regions 

 where many of them do not make spittle masses. He records an interesting case 

 where the nymphs were living in a gall-like sheath in a plant enlarged enough 

 to harbour many of them, and all living in spittle. This was in the Cow Parsnip 

 (Heracleum lanatum). In these arid districts others lived on the roots and crowns 

 of Compositae and legumes where they were protected from the hot sun and dry 

 air. 



Lintner suggests that the covering is necessary to cover the delicate-skinned 

 nymph from the burning heat of the \sun. 



The Cercopidae found in Canada are as follows : 



Family CERCOPID.^ (Leach) 



SuBKAJULY Cekcopix.?': (Am. and Serv.) 



No species. 



SuBKAiiiLY APHKOPHORix.i: (Am. and Serv.) 



Genus Aphrophora Germ. 



1546. A. quadrinoiata Say. Quebec, Ontario. 



1548. A. paraUela Say. Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario. 



1549. A. irrorota Ball. British Columbia. 



1551. A. saratogensis Fh. Nova Scotia, Ontario. 

 1553. A. signoreti Fh. Ontario. 



Genus Lepyronia Am. and Serv. 

 1555. L. qimdranguhirls Say. Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba. 



Genus Philaronia. 



1558. P. abjecta Uhl. Manitoba. 



1559. P. bilmeata Say. Quebec, Ontario, N. W. Canada. 

 Genus Philwnus. 



1560. P. IrucophtJialmus Linn. Quebec, Ontario. Manitoba. 



(a) Var. falleni V. D. 



(b) Var. ustulatus Fall. 



(c) Var. lateralis Linn. 



(d) Var. leucocephalus Linn. 



(e) Var. marginellus Fabr. 



(f) Var. fasciatus Fabr. 



(g) Var. fahricii Van D, 

 (h) Var. palUdus Zett. 



. 1561. P. lineatus Linn. Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario. 

 Genus Clastoptcra Germ. 



