1915] Funldiouser — Life History of Vanduzea Arquata Say 193 



spiders capturing the Membracids have been recorded and the 

 adults are occasionally found in spider webs, although in most 

 cases the spiders have been seen to capture the Membracid on the 

 twig and spin the web around the body until the insect was en- 

 closed in a cocoon-like mass, after which it was carried away. In 

 these instances the Membracids did not appear to have been 

 bitten by the spider, at least not to the extent of paralysis, for 

 the legs could be seen moving and the body struggling after the 

 encasement in the web. Here, again, the hard pronotum probably 

 pro^'ed a method of protection. One instance has been noted 

 of an Asilid {Erax hastardii Macq.) carrying off an adult, and 

 one instance, also, of a Mantis feeding on a nymph. 



Attendance by Ants. 



Both nymphs and adults are commonly attended by ants and 

 this appears to always be the case where the Membracids are 

 present in large numbers. The ants stroke their charges with 

 their antennae whereupon the Membracids give off from the anal 

 tube a liquid that issues in bubbles in a considerable quantity. 

 The anal tube of Vanduzea arquata is capable of great evagination, 

 especially in the nymphs in which it is long, black and cylindrical 

 and usually tipped with a fringe of fine hairs. The so-called 

 "honey-dew" is eagerly taken from the end of this tube by the ants. 

 In this species the adults as well as the nymphs are sought, and 

 the ants seem to be as attentive to one as to the other, but the 

 adults have not been observed to excrete the liquid to the same 

 extent as the nymphs. The mutual relationship of the two insects 

 offers a most interesting field for study and has been observed 

 in other Membracidse by a number of authors at various times. 

 The more important references to the subject are by Baer, Belt, 

 Buckton, Green, Lamborn, Miss Branch and Mrs. Rice.^ 



• Baer, G. A. Note aur une Membracide mynn6cophile. Ann. Soc. Ent. France, 1903. 

 LXXII: Bull. 306. 



Belt, T. Honey exuding Membracidse attended by ants. Naturalist in Nicaragua. 1874. 



Buckton, G. B. Ants and Membracidse. Monograph of the Membracidse. 1903. 262 p. 



Green, E. E. Note on the attractive properties of certain larval Hemiptera. Ent. Month. 

 Mag. Aug. 1900. XXXVII:185p. 



Lamborn, W. A. Ants and Membracidse. Trans. London Ent. Soc. 1913 494-498 p. 



Poulton, E. B. Suggestions as to the meaning of the shapes and colours of the Membracidse. 

 In Buckton's Monograph. 273-285 p. 



Branch, Hazel E. Morphology and Biology of the Membracidse of Kansas. Kansas Univer- 

 sity Bull. 1913. VIII: No. 3. 84 p. 



Rice, Mrs. M. E. Enlylia sinuata. Insect Life. 1893. V: No. 4. 243-245 p. 



