Hupson.—Illustrated Life-histories of New Zealand Insects.. 343 
Order HEMIPTERA. 
Suborder Homoptera. 
Family СІХПрАЕ. 
Oliarus oppositus (Plate 32, fig. 10.) 
Oliarus oppositus Walker = O. marginalis Walker: Hutton, Trans. 
N.Z. Inst., 30, 186. 
The nymph of this little frog-hopper may be found commonly, for 
most of the year, under logs and stones, and is of exceptional interest. 
(See Plate 32, fig. 11.) Its length when full-grown, excluding the 
woolly qe attached to the three terminal segments of the body, is 
about lin.; the rostrum, which reaches to the hind coxae, is thin but 
well кыта the antennae are inserted in concavities beneath the eyes, 
These nymphs are often, though not by any means invariably, found 
closely associated with a large ant (Ponera castanea ? *) Оп one occasion 
I observed an individual ant whose head had become involved in a mass 
of the fluffy secretion. The ant was making the most strenuous efforts 
to rid itself of the obstruction, using its forelegs with great vigour to 
that end. This incident suggested to me that the probable object of the 
fluffy secretion was to protect its owner from enemies. The nymph is 
fairly active, and the fluffy wool projects a considerable distance beyond 
the end of its body. Any predaceous insect or other enemy would thus 
lik ff 
h If 
ite colour of the fluff would also make it fairly conspicuous even 
in a ime dim light, and would thus invite an enemy to seize hold of it. 
phs when much handled soon lose the fluffy secretion, but I have 
found x it is completely renewed within the space of three days. 
Specimens are sometimes found having the “ broad fluffy. tail " con- 
аву: longer than it is shown in the figure. Тһе perfect insect is 
found amongst grass and other vegetation throughout the summer. 
