50 BRITISH INSECTS 



histories the Homoptera are evidently more advanced 

 than the Heteroptera. The newly-hatched young are 

 often very different from the parents, and may be 

 regarded as true larvae. Moreover, among the scale 

 insects, the last moult is preceded by a definite pupa- 

 like stage, when the creature remains quiescent, and 

 takes no food. So far as is known, all the Homoptera 

 feed on the juices of plants. The various families are 

 often arranged in three series viz., Trimera, Dimera, 

 and Monomera according to the usual number of 

 tar sal joints. 



The Trimera, or Homoptera with three-jointed 

 tarsi, are divided into five families. Of these the 

 cicadas, 1 so numerous in tropical countries, are repre- 

 sented in Britain by a single species. As a nymph it 

 is said to feed at the roots of bracken. The adult 

 is occasionally captured in the New Forest and else- 

 where ; but it is a great rarity. Members of the 

 family M&ribrarida, of which we have only two 

 examples, may be at once recognized by the remark- 

 able development of the pronotum, which extends 

 backwards above the wings and abdomen. This is 

 well shown in the photographs of Centvotus cornutus on 

 Plate VI. The three remaining families of this series 

 comprise numerous insects, mostly small, which are 

 known collectively as "hoppers." The Fulgorida, 

 which are related to the large, exotic " lantern-flies," 

 are characterized by having their short three-jointed 

 antennas inserted beneath the eyes ; whereas in the 

 Cevcopidce the antennae spring from between the eyes. 

 In the latter family some of the nymphs protect 

 themselves by a copious frothy secretion the well- 

 known " cuckoo-spit." The adults are known as 

 1 Cicadidte. 



