548 INSECT PESTS OF FARM, GARDEN AND ORCHARD 



fancied to be like 1 those of the buffalo, as indicated by the common 

 name of the insect. They are very common, frequenting all 

 sorts oT rank-growing vegetation, appearing in midsummer, and 

 being most numerous in August and September. 



Life History. Egg-laying is commenced in August and is 

 continued until killing frosts. The eggs are laid in two curved slits, 

 with from six to twelve in each, as shown in Fig. 398, c, d. In 

 making these slits the female cuts the bark between them entirely 

 loose, so that the intervening wood soon dies, possibly to prevent 



: the growth of the wood crushing the 



eggs. A large scar is thus formed 

 which enlarges with each season's 

 growth, and finally becomes an Oval 

 shape by the center dropping out. 

 After a few years badly infested 

 limbs become very rough, are easily 

 FIG. 399. Nymph of broken by the wind and furnish van- 

 buffalo tree-hopper tagc points for the .attack of borers, 

 enlarged. (After 

 Hodgkiss.) rhe e S&' s hatch the next May or 



June. Like the adults, the young 



nymphs feed on all sorts of succulent vegetation, seeming to prefer 

 the juicy annual plants even to the tender terminals of trees, 

 the orchards suffering most being those grown up in weeds. 



Control. By keeping young orchards well cultivated and free 

 from weeds, the nymphs will have no food in early summer and 

 will starve or leave for better feeding grounds. Patches of weeds 

 near young orchards should also be destroyed. When trees are 

 badly wounded by the egg punctures they should be well pruned 

 and the prunings burned to destroy the eggs. 



The Periodical Cicada * 



" There is probably no insect that has attracted more general 

 interest and attention in this country than the Periodical Cicada, 

 or the so-called Seventeen-year Locust. The earliest settlers 



* Cicada septendecim Linn. Family Cicadidce. See C. L. Marlatt, Bulletin 

 71, Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Dept. Agr.; A. D. Hopkins, Bulletin 68, 

 W. Va. Agr. Exp. Sta. 



