ECONOMIC STATUS 



The superfamily Fulgoroidea while of much economic 

 importance in the warmer tropical portions of the World 

 contains only a few really important pests in this country. 

 The total damage caused by these insects, however, is 

 without doubt not fully appreciated and given due con- 

 sideration by most entomologists. Only those who under- 

 take an intensive study of these small insects, some of which 

 are very minute, realize how capable they are of inflicting 

 serious economic losses. 



Plant hoppers suck their nourishment from the leaves 

 and stems of plants in the form of sap, often unnoticed, 

 until the leaves begin to wither, curl and distort, then be- 

 come discolored and die. The sap is pumped out by means 

 of a long beak or sucking-tube that by means of the man- 

 dibular setae or piercing organs is capable of penetrating 

 even very hard and tough tissues. 



The Sugar Cane Leaf -hopper, Perkinsiella saccharicida, 

 is a rather serious pest of sugar cane and at one time 

 threatened the entire crop in Hawaii. This insect does 

 not occur in North America fortunately but is widely dis- 

 tributed over the tropics. It is remarkable in that it has 

 the power of stridulation, something unknown in other 

 members of the family. 



Perhaps the two species that do most damage in the 

 United States are the Corn Delphacid, Peregrinus maidis, 

 and the Cranberry Toad Bug, Phylloscelis atra. The latter 

 does considerable damage to the cranberry bogs of the states 

 of New York and New Jersey. Peregrinus maidis causes 

 decided injury to young corn plants in the Southern States, 

 especially in Florida. 



The life-histories of both of these insects have been well 

 worked up but very little is. known about the life history 

 and habits of the other members of the family. 



CHARACTERIZATION 



The family Fulgoridae may be briefly characterized as follows: 

 Ocelli two (rarely three or entirely absent), placed below the eyes or 

 near the eyes, very variable in form but generally reniform, usually 

 in cavities of the cheeks. Antennae placed below the eyes, very va- 

 riable in size and form, usually of two segments terminated by a very 



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