REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 191 



oval, and smooth, and are usually laid upon the anterior imrfc of the 

 worm. Occasionally as many as eighteen eggs are laid on a single 

 worm, but the average number is about five. These eggs are so inge- 

 niously placed that the worm can by no possibility reach them with its 

 jaws or get rid of them in any other way. Mr. Howard says that he has 

 searched for hours in a field infested with army worms without finding 

 a single full-grown worm which did not carry one or more of these eggs 

 ujion its back. The general habits of the Tachina flies have been given 

 under the head of the j^arasites on the cotton worm, and further elab- 

 oration will be unnecessary. The abundance of this and other parasites 

 j)artially explains the i)eriodicity of the army-worm attacks. 



Another Tachina [Exorista fiavicauda), similar to the red-tail, has been 

 described by Eiley. Walsh described three species of hymenopterous 

 parasites upon the army worm : the Military Microgaster {Microgaster 

 militaris), the Glassy Mesochorus {Mesochorus vitreus), and the Dimin- 

 ished Pezomachus {Pezomachus minimus). Ophion purgatv.s^ a large ich- 

 neumon, was reared from the army worm by Mr. Shurtleff, and Dr. Fitch 

 describes another species as Ichneumon leucaniae. 



In addition to these true parasites, the army worm is attacked by 

 many predaceous insects and by insectivorous birds. We have noticed, 

 moreover, many specimens covered with a mite similar to Uropoda amer- 

 icana, which has proved so destructive to the Colorado potato beetle. 

 The following-named ground beetles are commonly found preying on the 

 army worm: Calosoma calidiim, G. scrutator, Harpahts caliginosus, and 

 Pasimachus elongafus. The first three of these are figured further on as 

 enemies of the cotton worm. Ants are also very efficient enemies of the 

 army worm. 



THE DESTEUCTIVE LEAF HOPPER. 



Gicadula exitiosa Uhler [new species]. 

 Order Homopteea, family Tettig onidae. 



Puncturing the bases of the outer leaves of winter wheat, causing them to turn yellow 

 and die, a small, active, flying and jumjiing brownish leaf hoi^iier, occasionally aji- 

 pearing in immense numbers. 



During the past winter much damage has been done to the winter 

 grain in Western South Carolina and in the borders of the surrounding 

 States by the above-named insect. Eeports from Mecklenburgh County, 

 North CaroKna, York, Abbeville, Union, and Laurens Counties, South 

 Carolina, and Catoosa County, Georgia, state that these leaf-hoppers 

 appeared in immense numbers and did great injury to the crops. 



This appearance, although phenomenal, was not unprecedented. In- 

 sects of the same sub-family [Jassidae) have long been injurious to the 

 wheat crop in parts of Europe. In this country an allied species was 

 reported in the spring of 1875 as doing much damage to the meadows of 

 certain parts of Illinois, and diuring the winter of 1S7G the winter gTain 

 in parts of Texas is said to have been much injured by one or more 

 species of Jassid. The species under consideration was identified by 

 Professor Uhler, v/ho has collected specimens of it in various parts of 

 Maryland and at Denver, CoL, and has received specimens collected in 

 Texas, Florida, and North Carolina. 



The destructive leaf-hopper is a small active brownish flying insect, 

 measuring with its wings folded about 5°"" (.195 inch) in length. Its 

 general shape is well indicated by figiure 4, PL I. It is very quick, a 

 good flyer, and a great jumper. 



