BULLETIN 964, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 



(Hf~ 



?^ 



^ 







-4' 



IHF^^ 





J 





' ' A 



^^P 



■ 





} 





^^^ '" 





^P^ 





^ 





fe:^^ 



^^ 



i 





% 



N 



^""^ 





1 



ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION. 



The present known range of the garden fiea-hopper covers a large 

 portion of the United vStates (fig. 1) . This insect belongs to the family 

 Capsidae of the Heteroptera, is quite generally distributed throughout 

 the eastern half of the United States, and in most instances has 

 been reported as injurious to crops. 



The garden flea-hopper is apparently American in origin. There 

 are, however, two cases on record where it is reported a.s being de- 

 structive to crops out- 

 side of the United 

 States, viz, Brazil and 

 French Cochin China. 

 In the latter region it 

 seriously infested the 

 peanut crop.^ 



During the summer 

 of 1916 the writer 

 made numerous ob- 

 servations with a view 

 of determining what 



Fig. 1.— Map showing States where the garden flea-hopper (Haltieus effect altitude might 

 din) has been found. ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^_ 



tribution of this species. Sweepings made at the points men- 

 tioned below showed the presence of the adults and nymphs in 

 the highest as well as the lowest altitudes where collections were 

 made. The trip included visits during the month of August, 1916, 

 to alfalfa and clover fields at Macon, Ga. ; Gray, Ga. ; Sylva, N. C. ; 

 Waynesville, N. C. ; Asheville, N. C. ; Statesville, N. C. ; Columbia, S. C. ; 

 and Gainesville, Fla. The territory covering these points included 

 a range of altitude from 180 feet to 2,700 feet. Gray, Ga., which 

 has an altitude of 500 feet, was the center of the 1915 outbreak. 



1 The following notes on the garden flea-hopper (Halticus citri) and list of localities have been compiled 

 from field studies in the United States and from specimens contained in the coUeetions of the U. S. 

 National Museum: Orange Springs, Fla., 1887 (W. H. Ashmead); Riley Co., Kans., Sept. 10, 1892 (C. L. 

 Marlatt); Washington, D. C, June 22, 1897; Columbia, Mo., no date (C. V. Eiley); Berkeley Springs, 

 W. Va. (P. R. Uhler); Auburn, Ala., no date (P. R. Uhler); Experiment Station, Manhattan, Kans., 1889 

 (E. A. Smith); Experiment Station, Hartford, Conn., Sept., 1914 (W. E. Britton); StiUwater, Okla., 

 Oct., 1912 (C. E. Sanborn); Topeka, Kans., Aug. 30, 1917 (E. A. Popenoe); Chicago, 111., July 13, 1908 (J. J. 

 Davis); Clemson College, S. C, July 16, 1909 (G. G. Ainslie); Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 5, 1910 (G. G. Ainslie); 

 Experiment Station, Utah, 1893 (P. R. Uhler); Winchester, Va., July 13, 1913 (E. B. Blakeslee); Washing- 

 ton, D. C, 1917 (F. H. Chittenden); Gray, Ga., 1915 (R. J. Stewart); Gray, Ga., May 26, 1915 (A. H. Beyer); 

 Macon, Ga., May 27, 1915 (A. H. Beyer); Lafayette, Ind., Aug. 11, 1916 (J. J. Davis); Atlanta, Ga., Aug. 

 25, 1916 (A. H. Beyer); StatesviUe, N. C, Aug. 31, 1916, WaynesviUe, N. C, Aug. 27, 1916 (A. H. Beyer); 

 AsheviUe, N. C, Aug. 28, 1916 (A. H. Beyer); Charlotte, N. C, Aug. 31, 1916 (A. H. Beyer); Hagerstown, 

 Md., Sept. 12, 1912 (H. L. Parker); Columbia, S. C, Oct. 5, 1915 (A. H. Beyer); Ithaca, N. Y., Oct., 1915 

 , (H. H. Ivnight); Boston, Mass., Sept., 1915 (H. H. Knight); Springfield, Mo., July, 1915 (H. H. Knight); 

 Quincy, Fla., May 23, 1916 (F. H. McDonough); Lakeland, Fla., Dec. 16, 1916 (A. H. Beyer); Fulton Co., 

 TST. Y., Aug., 1911 (C.-P. Alexander); IndianapoUs, Ind., Aug. 25, 1916 (H. F. Dietz); GainesviUe, Fla., 

 Feb. 28, 1917 (A. H. Beyer); Charleston, Mo., May 26, 1916 (E. H. Gibson); Hot Springs, Ark., May, 1916 

 (E. H. Gibson); Chapel HID, N. C, Sept. 21, 1915 (P. LuginbiU). 



