LIFE HISTORIES OF FROGHOPPERS OF MAINE. 269 



Meadow Froghopper and the Philaenus lineatus Grass-feeding 

 Froghopper. 



The distribution of the species covers the northern United 

 States west to the plains region at least and in Maine its occur- 

 rence may be expected throughout the entire state. In fact it 

 is one of the most abundant species encountered in meadows 

 and pastures and it is found occasionally in cultivated fields of 

 oats. 



There is a quite wide range of food plants including many 

 of the compositae as well as several cultivated crops. Among 

 the food plants specially noted were buttercup, yarrow, thistle, 

 helianthus, orange dock, daisy, clover, primrose, chokecherry 

 and plum. 



Its economic importance is of course considerably affected 

 by the fact that many of its foodplants are noxious weeds and 

 if it would confine its attacks to such plants it might be counted 

 very useful but since it feeds abundantly on clover its presence 

 in meadows must be counted detrimental. 



In life history the species agrees very closely with P. lineatus 

 so much so that one statement will almost answer for the two. 



NATURE OF THE INJURY. 



The effects of the attacks of this species are most apparent 

 on the blossoms or the seed formation and in many cases are 

 very evident. This is especially evident in the case of the 

 buttercup which seems to be one of the favorite foodplants. 

 Buttercup heads were marked to indicate those blossoms that 

 were on stems attacked by the hoppers and four marked heads 

 on a plant that bore eight other heads. The four attacked all 

 withered and failed to produce seed while six of the others 

 formed good seed heads and the other two were still in blos- 

 som at time the observation closed. See figs. 44 and 45. 



Clover blossoms also show the same effect and there is no 

 doubt that the hoppers must be a distinct factor in the reduc- 

 tion of the formation of the perfect clover heads. 



Where buttercup is present spumarius seems to gather on it 

 in preference to other plants though clover is apparently nearly 

 as much affected. 



