80 FROGHOPPER BLIGHT OF SUGAR-CANE. 



an alternative host (if not the regular host) of Faraphelinus tomaspidis, 

 t]ie Trash -coloured Egg-parasite, supposed to destroy the eggs of the 

 f) oghopper. 



The adult Xiphidium are caught and stored up as food by the 

 burrowing wasp Splicx iclineumonicus. 



Pjliif/is is represented in Trinidad by P. mantispa an active green 

 grasshopper, smaller and more slender than Xiphidium, which however 

 also prefers the grass and bush to the canefields. It is nothing like so 

 common as Xiphidiiim and is of comparativelj' little importance as a 

 check to the froghopper. 



Related species of the genus are widely distributed throughout 

 Central America. 



Ants. 



.As has been mentioned above, the froth covering of the nymphs 

 makes them almost immune to the attacks of hunting ants. 



.The adult however, in spite of its ability to jumii and fly, frequently 

 falls a prey to the various predaceous ants that are found in the cane 

 fields. 



The following species of ants have been found preying on adult 

 froghoppers :— 



Anochetus inermis, Andre, in Trinidad (Urich 1913 C. p. 26.) 



Solenopsis geminaia in Trinidad (Urich 191.8 C. p. 26.) 



Soletiopsis tenuis in Trinidad. 



Pseudomyrma elet/mis in British Guiana. 



Monomorium sp. in Trinidad. 



Ectatomma ruidiian, Roger, in Panama. 



Monomorium carhonarium F. sub sp. eheniurn, Fore), in Panama. 



I am indebtedto ]\Iessrs. C. T. Bruce and W. C. Crawley for the 

 identifications. 



In addition to destroying adult froghoppers these ants kill many 

 other useful and injurious insects in the field and some also carry away 

 froghoppers infested with green muscardiue, thereby preventing its 

 spread. Froghoppers are particiilarly liable to be destroyed by ants 

 when affected with fungus diseases, which make tliem !ethai-gic for some 

 time before killing them outright. 



Fireflies (Lampyrid-e). 



On one occasion it was reported to me by a planter that he had seen 

 a candle-fly" on his table the previous evening eating an adult frog- 

 hopper which had been attracted in to the light. 



On another occasion I was given the larva of a similar species which 

 had been found in the froth of a nymph froghopper. Unfortunately the 

 larva was dead before I received it. 



These Lamp3'rids and their larvae are known to be predaceous and are 

 common in the cane districts, but it cannot be said to what extent they 

 are a serious enemy of the froghopper. 



The firefly or candle-fly referred to here is the small soft bodied 

 beetle wilh the single liglit beneath the end of the body, and not the 

 large hard click-beetle, locally known as "La Belle" which has two green 

 lights in front and a yellow one beneath. 



Phorice (Diptera). 



Ke'shaw (1913 I p. 10) reports finding some small flies of the genus 

 i'hora emerging from dead froghopper adults, but was not able to 

 determine whether or not they had attacked the adults before death. 



