3i8 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XIX. No. 487 



NOTES ON LOCAL BYTHOSCOPID^ AND CERCO- 

 PIDiE. 



In the Bythoscopidse, Podiopsis viridis Fitch is a rare 

 insect with me, of which I have never taken more than a 

 dozen specimens. Professor J. B. Smith mentions Fitch's 

 P. tri-maculatus as occurring in New Jersey, but as yet I 

 have never been able to discover it, although it may be se- 

 curely hidden among a lot of undetermined material so 

 common to many entomological collections, and so detri- 

 mental to the science in not being recorded. As no list of 

 the Hemiptera of this locality has ever been published, I 

 have used Professor Smith's as a basis on which to establish 

 the possible occurrence of many species, although the only 

 species I am responsible for are those I have collected, many 

 of which have been determined by Professor Van Duzee. 



In Bythoscopus I have taken pallidus Fitch, now inown 

 as Idiocerus pallidus Fitch ; this is not a common species, 

 but is represented in my collection by a dozen specimens. 

 Bythoscopus seminudus Say I have not taken, but it is no 

 doubt a resident species, and is given from New Jersey. 



Agallia is represented by two species, A. sanguinolenta 

 Prov. and A. quadripunctata Pro v., the latter species be- 

 ing quite common, and the former rare. 



Idiocerus alternata Fitch, I. lachrymalis Fitch, I. macu- 

 lipennis Fitch, and I. suturalis Fitch are all recorded from 

 New Jersey, and are Fitch's types. So they should occur 

 with us also, but I have never taken any of them as far as I 

 know. 



In the CercopidcB we have quite a number of species, strong 

 in character and abundant in numbers. 



In the sub family Cercopince I have never taken a single 

 representative species; but Professor Smith records Monec- 

 phora bicincta Say as occurring in New Jersey, and it no 

 doubt occurs here also. 



In the sub-family Aphrophorin^, Lepyronia quadrangu- 

 laris Say is very common on grasses and weeds (so-called). 

 Aphrophora parallela Say and A. quadrinotata Say are 

 rare, the first being the most common of the two species. 

 Fitch's Aphrophora sarogotensis, now known as Philaenus 

 sar'ogotensis Fitch, I have never found, although it should 

 be with us. 



Philcenus hilineatus Say, P. lirfeatus Linn., and P. Spu- 

 maria Germ, are recorded from New Jersey, and will no 

 doubt be found to occur here also. 



Clostoptera is represented in my collectiou by two species, 

 C. proteus Fitch and C dbtusa Say, the former species being 

 the most common. Professor Smith gives C. achatina Germ., 

 C. pini Fitch, 0. testacea Fitch, and G. xanthocephala 

 Germ, as occurring in New Jersey. 



In the sub-family Ledein^ I have not as yet found a 

 single representative species, although Ledra perdita is re- 

 corded from New Jersey, and should occur here also. 



In the sub-family Gyponin^e three species are represented : 

 Gypona 8 lineata Say being the largest and most beauti- 

 ful of the series. This insect varies in color from a delicate 

 yellowish green to those who have the entire veining of the 

 wings a brilliant scarlet, which suffuses the entire head and 

 thorax also. These were taken from young, vigorous sprouts 

 of Platanus occidentalis Linn, and also from the trunks of 

 TJlmus americana Linn. ; the latter were taken during a 

 severe and protracted rain-storm, when they were apparently 

 driven from the foliage, and sought shelter in the crevices 

 of the rough bark. My experience has shown that such a 

 time is very advantageous for collecting rare and new species 



of Hemiptera, as very many species taken then have never 

 been found by me in any other situation, and many can in 

 this way be taken, which the sweep-net will fail to reach. 



Gypona flavilineata Fitch is slightly greener in color and 

 without the scarlet veining in the fore-wings. In size it is 

 a trifle smaller. Many of these were taken from the trunks 

 of elms with S. lineata, and also at electric lights. 



There is great difficulty (in collecting Hemiptera) in know- 

 ing just where a certain species comes from. If one sweeps 

 the grass, a myriad of weeds and plants are covered, and it 

 is impossible to tell from which food-plant the species may 

 come, or, if it is maintained by different plants, which one it 

 is the most partial to. 



The third species of Gypona is new, or at least is not known 

 to Professor Van Duzee; this is much greener than the last, 

 with a suggestion of brown on the inner edges of the fore- 

 wings. 



Xerophloea viridis Fobr., recorded from New Jersey, I 

 have never taken here, nor have I seen Paropholis peltata 

 Uhler, nor the two species of Penthimia P. atra Fabr., nor 

 P. americana Fitch. 



In the sub-family Tettigonin.^ we are quite well repre- 

 sented. What we have before known as Precoma undata 

 Fobr. is now referred to Oncometopia and known as O. un- 

 data Fobr. Professor Smith records Proconia costalis Fabr. 

 as occurring in New Jersey, and also Oncometopia obtusa 

 Fobr. and O. orbona Fobr. These also will no doubt prove 

 to be resident species with us also. 



Homalodisca coagulata Say, recorded from New Jersey, 

 I have never taken. Aulacizes irrorata Fobr. is represented 

 by two species, but they are without data, and I do not know 

 if they were even taken in the State. I do not remember 

 ever having taken this species. 



Diedrocephala coccinea Forst. is very common with us, 

 but shows such diversified markings that there appear to 

 be two species, while still allowing ample color distribution. 

 They occur from a pale green to a brilliant red, the red ones 

 showing a fine green line on their fore- wings, and the green 

 ones a fine red line. Diedrocephala mollipes Say is also 

 common; it is more uniform in coloration. D. novebora- 

 censis Fitch is of a brilliant green, and with me it is quite 

 rare. Another species of Diedrocephala is new to Professor 

 Van Duzee. This is much darker than either mollipes or 

 noveboraceusis. Dr. C. V. Eiley's Diedrocephala floviceps 

 I have never taken, although it is recorded from New Jer- 

 sey. 



Helochara communis Fitch is by no means common here, 

 but is represented by a dozen specimens. 



Evacanthus orbitalis Fitch I have never collected, but no 

 doubt it will be found here. Tettigonia is represented by 

 two species, bifida Say and tripunctata Fitch, the former 

 being the most common of the two species. T. trifasciata 

 Say I have never found, but it is recorded from New Jersey, 

 and no doubt occurs with us also. 



In the sub-family Acocephalin.s; I have three representa- 

 tive species. Acocephalus mixtus Say is represen ted by about 

 half a dozen specimens. Parabolocratus vittilimis Fitch is 

 very rare indeed, and Platymetopius frontalis Van Duzee is 

 represented by three specimens. Professor Smith also records 

 in this sub-family Hecalus fenestratus Uhl., Acocephala 

 solidaginis Harr., Platymetopius acutus Say, P. albono- 

 tatus Fitch, and Selenocephalus vittilinus Fitch, now re- 

 ferred to Parabolocratus as above. 



After extended examination and research, I am inclined 

 to believe with Professor Osborn that what is known as 



