IOWA ACADEMY OP SCEENCES. 185 



Female. Head nearly equaling pronotum in width; vertex two-thirds 

 the length of the pronotum, one-half longeron middle than next eye; width. 

 at base nearly twice the length, convexly rounding to the front; lateral 

 and posterior margins, a median stripe extending forward across the disk, 

 and ocelli white; tip white, broadly margined with orange. A broad lateral 

 margin approaching so near the ocelli as almost to complete the white mar- 

 gin and rtduce the black to a large spot on either side of the median line 

 of the disk. Front narrow at ocelli, widening to antennal pits, then rapidly 

 narrowing to the clypeus; light orange above, shading to black below; cly- 

 peus and loraa black; gena^ broad, white; antennee long, arising from under 

 a distinct ledge; pronotum short, margins nearly parallel, black, with a 

 transverse white band just before the posterior margin; scutellum, basal 

 half black, with a narrow median stripe, apical half orange. Elytra macu- 

 late with black as follows: The middle and tip of clavus, apex of elytra, 

 a small spot on the costa before the apex, a broad, slightly oblique band 

 arising beyond the middle of the costa and extending to the clavus, branch- 

 ing before the middle and running-narrowly to the anal cell and a smaller 

 curved band near the base of the costa, sometimes uniting with a median 

 one near the claval suture. 



Male. Vertex without the median stripe or orange marking; upper 

 part of front and all the vertex within the white margin, shining black, 

 except ocelli and a point on the tip equaling them in size, white; lower 

 part of front and clypeus orange. 



Genitalia. Ultimate ventral segment of female very broad, posterior 

 margin straight, roundingly notched in the center, slightly deeper than 

 in palicarius. Male valve short, obtusely concavely pointed; plates inflated, 

 broad at base, concave, narrowing to an acute apex; apex curved upwards 

 around the pygofers which, together with the plates, are margined with 

 plumose white hairs. 



Two males and one female of this very distinct little species 

 were taken from a deeply shaded patch of bluegrass in August. 

 Ames, Iowa. 



THE SHOVEL-NOSED LEAF-HOPPER. 



DORYCEPHALU.S PLATYRHYNCHUS, OSB. 

 (PI. XX, Fig. 1.) 

 Canadian Entomologist, XXVI, p. 216, 1894. 



This very peculiar insect has hitherto been recorded only 

 from Ames, Iowa, and West Point, Neb., and has been consid- 

 ered very rare, only three or four specimens in all having been 

 seen prior to the present season. Nothing was known as to its 

 life history or food habit. During the present season, however, 

 it has been found in large numbers, and since it has bred freely 

 in the breeding cage, it has been possible to determine its full 

 life-history. 



At first sight one would infer that it would be a very con- 

 spicuous object, an easy victim for natural enemies or the 



