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INSECTS OF THE SPARTINA REGION. 

 Megamei.us Mabginatus. 



This yellowish brown. 2.5 cm. long, leaf-hopper is a common inhabitant 

 of the salt marshes from Connecticut to Florida (Van Duzee). This 

 insect I found only in the Spartina area, never more than a few feet from 

 the inner limit. Due to the alertness of this leaf-hopper on sunny days 

 and its inconspicuousness, many hours of observation failed to reveal its 

 whereabouts during high tide, until one rainy morning, while watching 

 their actions from a boat. I found them resting head downwards on the 

 inner part of the shallow "U's" formed by the grass blades. They remained 

 in this position as they were slowly covered by the incoming tide. Their 

 position on the blade is especially advantageous as it encloses large 

 bubbles of air under their wings which serve the double purpose of sup- 

 plying them with air and of making them inconspicuous by giving them 

 a silvery appearance which makes them resemble closely the stem of the 

 Spartina on which they rest, which also has a silvery appearance due to 

 bubbles of air on its surface. On a cloudy day they cling so tenaciously to 

 the blades of the Spartina that the blades may be cut off and placed in 

 a jar of water. On July JL8, 9 a. in.. I put eight of them under sea water 

 by this method. I kept them submerged for twenty-seven hours. On 

 lowering the water in the jar they were still able to fly. I kept them sub- 

 merged for two days on several occasions, with apparently no ill effect. 



Besides this reaction to the tides, which prevents them from being 

 washed away, and their inconspicuousness, whch makes them invisible to 

 their natural enemies, the inhabitants of the sea, they have a spur on the 

 third pair of legs which is peculiarly modified to secure their survival in 

 a region at times covered with water. To secure a larger contact area 

 with water to allow them to remain at rest on its surface as well as to 

 hop upon it, this spur has been developed until it is as long as the proximal 

 tarsal segment. The prominent hoods at the distal end of the tibia and 

 also on each tarsal segment, are other modifications for the same pur- 

 pose. They never walk on the surface of the water, but can hop on it with 

 great ease. The two hooks on the terminal segment of the leg enable it to 

 secure a firm hold on the Spartina blade at the time of submergence. 



This leaf-hopper was never found further inward than the inner limit 

 of the Spartina area. It can be readily distinguished from the leaf- 

 hoppers inhabiting the higher regions of the salt marsh by the prominent 



