LEDRA AURITA. 89 



Ledra AURITA, Linn. Plate XXV., figs. 1 to 8. 



Cicada aurita, Linn. 

 Memhracis aurita, Fab. 



Ledra aurita, Fab. ; Germ. ; Burm. ; Curt. ; Kirsclib.; 

 Sahl. ; Edw. pt. i. p. 101. 



This insect has a singular appearance. Its flattened 

 foliaceous head shows a tendency to expand into the 

 remarkable forms exhibited by the lantern-flies. 



Head somewhat pentagonal, flat, leaf-like, and as 

 wide as the pronotum. Eyes small and globular. 

 Ocelli obvious, and placed near the base of the vertex. 

 A depression between each ocellus and ociilus. Neck 

 {naque of Fieber) short. Pronotum broad, with a 

 rounded foliaceous porrection on each side. Scutellum 

 small and transversely wrinkled. Abdomen ridged in 

 the middle. Somites well marked. Hind tibiae much 

 flattened in the middle, spotted and ciliated. Frons 

 scutiform. Clypeus and rostral sheath small. Antenna 

 rise from below tectiform ridges, which arch over the 

 eyes (see fig. 3/). Lateral saw-valves broad, with a 

 deep sulcus, showing the backs of the serrated laminae 

 within. Valves of the male pygofer smaller and more 

 ovate than the female. 



The general colour of the live insect is greenish gold 

 passing into brown. Elytron with a yellower tinge on 

 the disc. A broad black triangular spot occurs on the 

 costa, a smaller one nearer the apex, and yet another 

 on the lower margin. Wings with a brownish mem- 

 brane and darker veinings. Under-side uniformly pale 

 fulvous-yellow. 



Cabinet specimens soon lose their bright colouring. 

 My figure, though taken from a fine specimen, is 

 printed of too bright a green. The profile shows the 

 head and prosternum flattened almost like a scale ; in 

 short, the whole insect has the appearance as if it had 

 been pressed under a weight. 



