594 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Two-marked tree hopper 



Enclioiopa bi)iotata Say 



A peculiar, brownish, black tree ho|)iier with an enormous hornlike projection over 

 its heail, occurs in the tall on a number of jilants. 



This little insect is \"er)' peculiar on account of the enormously 

 developed prothorax, which makes it appear as tliou^h it were the bearer 

 of a laroe horn. It is very probable that this structure is of advantage, 

 since the resting insect bears a very close resemblance to a thorn and on 

 this account is no doubt overlooked by natural enemies. This tree hopper 

 is specially foml of bittersweet, which it occasionall)' injures serious!}'. It 

 occurs on this plant diu'ing Jul\' and August in compaii)' with its young, a 

 groujj somewhat resembling a flock o{ t)ld and young ]jartridges in minia- 

 ture. The v'f^'-^ covering of this insect is as uni(|ue as the parent. Il is a 

 snow-white, frothy mass about ',,6 inch long by 'x inch broad, and an 

 e.xamination with a lens shows that it is composed of a double row of 

 numerous small, stringy, transverse masses laid side by side, those of each 

 row meeting end to end along a somewhat irregular median ridge. See 

 plate 17, figure 15, tor an illustration of the adult and plate 4q, figure 4, for 

 a representation of the peculiar egg coverings. 



Description. I'he full grown insect has been describee! by Ur Harris 

 as nearly -y,o inch long, including tne horn of the thorax ; of a dusk\- brown 

 color, and with two yellow si)Ots on the ridge of the back. When seen 

 sideways it presents a profile much like that of a bird, the head and neck of 

 which are represented 1)\- the cur\ed [)rojecting horn of the thorax. The 

 young of this little tree hopper, of various sizes, clustered together on a 

 stem of tile waxwork, may be likened to a Hock of old and joting 

 partridges. They iippear to pass through all their transformations on the 

 plant, are fond of society, and sit close together with their heads all in the 

 same direction. The eggs, as stated by Dr Lintner, are arranged in much 

 the same way as those of the cicada, inserted through a single hole, in two 

 parallel series separated by a small interval. There are in each row from 

 six to 12 eggs, which ])art1y oxerlap one another. They are elongated. 



