FAM. MEMBKACIDiE 5 



reported from Scandinavia or Iceland. A limited iiumber of species in northern Africa. chiefly forms 

 which have migrated from the south. 



Ethiopian Region (Central and South Africa and its islands; Arabia). 



Rich in genera and species. Less coUecting has been done in this area than in most of the 

 other tropical and semitropical regions but there is evidence of an abundant membracid fauna. 



Oriental Region (India and the East Indies). 



Extremely rich both in the number of forms represented and in the number of individuals. 

 The center of distribution for the subfamily CentroHna. 



Australian Region (Australia, Tasmania and neighboring islands). 



Well represented by rather distinct forms. Ahhough only a comparatively few localities in 

 this region are represented by material in collections, these localities have yielded a large number 

 of species. 



Nearctic Region (America north of Mexico ; Greeiiland). 



About forty genera, some represented by only one species, becoming less abundant northward. 

 A few species common in Canada as far north as Perry Sound. None reported from Greenland. 



Neotropical Region (Mexico; West Indies; Central and South America). 



The most important of all the regions for the Membracida. Central America and the northern 

 part of South America have yielded more genera and almost as many species as all the rest of the world 

 together. Five of the six great subfamilies are found only in this region. 



Oceanic Region (Extending from and including New Guinea on the west to the most easterly islands 

 of Polynesia on the east and from New Zealand on the south to Micronesia and Hawaii on 

 the north). 



Only 33 species reported from the entire region, practically all of which are from New Guinea 

 and the Solomon Islands. The paucity of material from this area is probably due to lack of coUecting 

 rather than absence of the insects since the surrounding regions are rich in Membracida, However, only 

 two species have been found in Hawaii and both of these are introduced forms. 



HABITATS 



The Membracida are sun-loving insects. They are most commonly found on grasses, shrubs 

 and trees growing in the open, on bushes and young trees at the edges of timber or on vegetation 

 along roadsides. They are seldom seen in shady woods and we have never found them in dense 

 jungles or in dark forests. In practically all cases they seem to prefer the younger plants; the 

 tree-inhabiting species are most likely to be found on saphngs, or, if on older trees, on the youngest 

 twigs. Most forms stay close to the ground, and even those species that live on trees of considerable 

 size are usually on branches not over twenty feet from the ground. The grass-inhabiting forms seek 

 the youngest plants or the youngest leaves of the older plants. This is probably because of the fact 

 that the membracid beak is not strong and the young tissue is easier to penetrate. Dry, warm, sunny 

 spots on young vegetation is their preferred habitat. 



However, one exception must be made to the above general statement. Mr. Felix Woytkowski, 



