INJURIOUS AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS OF CALIFORNIA. 61 



Nature of Work. — The damage consists in making the egg-punc- 

 tures in the small twigs, which so weakens them that they break. 

 Fig. 50 shows some of these egg-punctures. 



Distribution. — This cicada occurs in the central and northern parts 

 of the State, having been taken in the Santa Clara and Sacramento 

 valleys. 



Hosts.— Mr. Geo. P. Weldon collected numbers of the females lay- 

 ing eggs in olive branches at Chico, Butte County. It also punctures the 

 limbs of peach and other fruit trees. 



Control.— The extent of injury does not usually warrant any con- 

 trol measures. However, should this be the case the only recourse would 

 be to prune out and burn the twigs containing the eggs before they 

 hatch. 



MEMBRACIDvE (Family) 



TREE-HOPPERS 



The membracids are rather small insects, generally characterized by 

 the prolongation of the prothorax, which covers nearly the entire abdo- 

 men. The antennre are minute and bristle-like; the beak is plainly 

 inserted in the head and the feet have three segments. The most com- 

 mon species of this family in California is the buffalo tree-hopper. 



THE BUFFALO TREE-HOPPER 



Ceresa bubaltis Fabricius 



Description. — The adults are small, oddly-shaped, light green hop- 

 pers, from | to f inch long and with a horn-like projection on each front 

 margin of the prothorax. The eggs are transparently white, smooth, 

 long, cylindrical, rounded at one end and tapering towards the other 

 and about 1-17 inch long. They are inserted obliquely beneath the bark 

 by the sharp ovipositor in groups of from six to twelve. . The nymphs 

 are light green and greatly resemble the adults, but are spiny, flattened 

 and much smaller. When disturbed the insects hop quickly. 



Life History. — The eggs are deposited into incisions cut in the 

 upper surface of the bark of small branches from July to October and 

 hatch in April, May or June. The young nymphs feed primarily upon 

 grasses and weeds in or around the orchards and reach maturity in time 

 to deposit eggs in the fall. There is but one brood a year. 



Nature of Work. — The damage is done by the females in making the 

 incisions in the twigs for egg-laying. They usually select young growth 

 from two to three years old, and, as hundreds of incisions may be made 

 by a single female, young trees are often entirely killed. As the egg 

 scars heal roughened areas form upon the limbs, producing a knotty 

 appearance. 



Distribution. — This hopper occurs in limited numbers throughout 

 the State, but so far has not proven serious in any locality. 



Food Plants. — The insects feed upon many kinds of grasses and 

 succulent vegetation, but the principal damage is done in making the 

 egg-punctures in the limbs of various trees, including the following: 



