138 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 4 



in collections and is likely to appear in almost every collection from 

 its area of distribution. Heretofore, however, there appears to have 

 been no definite record of its attack upon any important crop, and, 

 so far as I know, no suggestion that it may have a thstinct economic 

 importance. During the past year it has appeared in my own col- 

 lections in a number of locations, and especially upon alfalfa and clover, 

 so that it has seemed possible to have a distinct importance. More- 

 over, during the last few months a number of specimens have been 

 sent to me through the Bureau of Entomology with the information 

 that the insect was injuring alfalfa, so that there seems no longer 

 any question as to its having a definite relation to this crop. The 

 mode of attack of the insect appears to be, in general, the puncturing 

 and sucking of sap from the stems, but in some instances it has been 

 observed that the punctures have been made in a series surrounding 

 some of the stems, and as a result of this attack the plants above the 

 point of puncture wilt and die, so that the injury i§ very evident. 

 As the most definite record in hand I may reproduce the following 

 extracts from letters to the Bureau of Entomology from Mr. R. A. 

 Cushman : 



Tallulah, La., August 27, 1910. 



Dr. C. W. Edgerton, plant pathologist of the Louisiana Experiment Station paid 

 us a visit yesterday, during which I spent several hours with him driving over the 

 country and inspecting the alfalfa for diseases. He called my attention to a peculiar 

 girdling of the stems, which he says is caused by a Membracid. I am sending you 

 under separate cover both the adults and nymphs of this species for determination. 

 Doctor Edgerton tells me that he has proved beyond a doubt that this insect is re- 

 sponsible for the injury mentioned by placing alfalfa plants in cages of sterile soil 

 in which some of the insects were confined. The injury appeared over night. His 

 conclusions are further proved by the fact that microscopic examinations of .sectioned 

 stems show no disease and that none of the tissue of the plant is removed by the 

 injury but simply shrunken, due to the removal of the plant juices at that point. 

 I have written of this in some detail for the reason that the idea of a sucking insect 

 causing an injury of this character is new to me. I am also sending some stems of 

 alfalfa showing the injury. ... 



September 1, 1910. — Extract from letter of above date: ... I might add in 

 . this connection that it seems to be the immature insects which do the most damage. 

 In regard to the extent of the injury to alfalfa in this neighborhood, so far as ray 

 own observations go, I should say that it is rather a serious pest. As we walked 

 through the field the other day the adults would jump up in great abundance and 

 we had no difficulty in finding the nymphs and the injury. The injured stems 

 have a rather characteristic yellowish appearance and these were of rather frequent 

 occurrence, while the newly girdled stems were abundant. However, my observa- 

 tions cover only a short time spent in one field, and I would not, therefore, like to 

 express an opinion as to the seriousness of the pest in this region. The alfalfa in- 

 dustry in the neighborhood of Tallulah embraces but a small acreage on a few plan- 

 tations, the growing of that crop being still in the experimental stage, but as I find 

 opportunity I will look further into the subject. 



