66 FROGIIOPPEK lU.ItiHT OF SUGAR-CANE. 



Since Guppy found the original three specimens, all of which were 

 females, this insect had never been bred again from froghoppev eggs. 

 I obta'ned one female by sweeping grass at St. Clair. Port-of-Spain, on 

 IBth April, 1916 and two specimens, a male and a female, by sweeping 

 grass in a trace among the canes on Caroni Estate on 2nd January 

 1917. The male had not previously been seen. There is considerable 

 doubt as to whether or not it is a regular froghopper egg parasite. If 

 the original recoi-d is correct it must destroy froghopper eggs 

 occasionall}', but it is probable tliat iionnally it is parasitic on the eggs 

 of grass-hoppers, as the other species of the genus are known to be. 



Paraplielimis xijyliidii was described from Hawaii from the eggs of 

 a gi'asp-hopper Xijjhidiuvi varie])eiinc, and species of the genus 

 XiphicUum are abundant in the traces in Trinidad. These are probably 

 the regular host of the Trash-coloured parasite. Waterston (Bull. Ent. 

 Besi'drch VIII. p. 43-58) has given a full account of the genus Paraphe- 

 linns with a list of the known species and describes as new P. ferhinsi 

 that I found associated with froglioppeis and Xijihidinm spx>. in 

 British Guiana. 



A species of the same gemis as yet .undetermined was also found 

 in Tobago. 



Panama Egg-Pahasite (Ancujriis sp.) 



While in Panama I bred three specimens of an Aiiagrus (Mymaridce) 

 from the eggs of a froghopper cL sely related to the Trinidad species. 

 Sjiecies of this genus occur in Trinidad but their separation is extremely 

 difficult. Up to the present they have not been found attacking frog- 

 hopper eggs here. 



Thrips. 



On two separate occasions I have found tlnips of the genus 

 Haplothrips destroying the eggs of froghoppers. 



The first of these was in Pnitish Guiana in July and August 191^ 

 when an adult thrips was reared from a larva found in a breeding tube 

 containing only dead trash and froghopper eggs. 



The second occasion was in I'anama in June 1917 when under 

 similar conditions an adult Hajylotlniits s^j. was found in a tube that 

 contained trash with froghopper eggs that had been in the tube a month. 

 An examination showed all the eggs to be dead, dried up and half empty, 

 just as if sucked, so that it is almost certain that the thrips in the 

 larval or adult stage had been feeding on them. 



The species of the genus Hcvplothriiys are usually vegetable feeders 

 but some have been recorded as predaceous in other parts of the world. 

 It is probable that most species are omnivorous and can take either 

 animal or vegetable food as the occasion arises. 



Several species are abundant in the grass in the traces in 

 Trinidad in the localities infested by T. saccharina and may 

 exert a small controlling effect, but up to the present I have_not found 

 them on the cane in the field. 



Ants. 



Urich (1913 C. p. 26) expresses a belief that the eggs are carried oflf 

 by ants of the genus Monomormm. 



Fungus. 

 Kershaw (1913 I. p. 9) mentions that there is a fungus that'completely 

 tills up some froghopper eggs, but he is doubtful if it kills then or only 

 attacks them when dead. 



PARASITES OF THE NYMPH. 



BlIlDS. 



A full account of the bird enemies of the froghopper will be given 

 when dealing with the enemies of the adult on p. 70. 



