THE VINE-HOPPERS. 227 



It is stated by the late Mr. Fessenden, in the " New 

 American Gardener," that some persons in this country have 

 entirely " abandoned their grape-vines " in consequence of 

 the depredations of a small insect, which, for many years, 

 was supposed to be the vine-fretter of Europe. It is not, 

 however, the same insect, but is a leaf-hopper, and was 

 first described by me in the year 1831, in the eighth volume 

 of the " Encyclopaedia Americana," * under the name of 

 Tettigonia Vitis (Plate III. Fig. 5). In its perfect state 

 it measures one tenth of an inch in length. It is of a pale 

 yellow or straw color ; there are two little red lines on the 

 head ; the back part of the thorax, the scutel, the base of 

 the wing-covers, and a broad band across their middle, are 

 scarlet; the tips of the wing-covers are blackish, and there 

 are some little red lines between the broad band and the 

 tips. The head is crescent-shaped above, and the eyelets 

 are situated just below the ridge of the front. 



The vine-hoppers, as they may be called, inhabit the for- 

 eign and the native grape-vines, on the under surface of 

 the leaves of which they may be found during the greater 

 part of the summer ; for they pass through all their changes 

 on the vines. They make their first appearance on the 

 leaves in June, when they arc very small and not provided 

 with wings, being then in the larva state. During most of 

 the time they remain perfectly quiet, with their beaks thrust 

 into the leaves, from which they derive their nourishment 

 by suction. If disturbed, however, they leap from one leaf 

 to another with great agility. As they increase in size they 

 have occasion frequently to change their skins, and great 

 numbers of their empty cast-skins, of a white color, will 

 be found, throughout the summer, adhering to the under 

 sides of the leaves and upon the ground beneath the vines. 



When arrived at maturity, which generally occurs during 

 the month of August, they are still more agile than before, 

 making use of their delicate wings as well as their legs in 



* Article Locust, p. 43. 



