Insects, etc.. Injurious to the Pin 



)n. 



391 



THE OAK AND FRUIT LEAF HOPPER. 



{Ti/jiJ/loci/hii qin'iTii.s, Fabr. = Ti/j>Ji/or,/J,a Jtiiiitiiiii/nn, Ani\-ot.) 



Like all meml.iers ^A tliis faiiiil)-, the insect passes the winter in 

 either the adult or ii>inp]ial stages. Hibernation takes place in any 

 sheltered position. ( >ne may find them amongst fallen leaves at the 

 foot of hedgerows, in liox hedges, amongst moss and lichens on tr(^es, 

 and alinndantly amongst conifers. In spring tliey appear again, and 

 feed upon the young leaves. In June they are first noticed iu 

 numliers; possibly between their exit from winter quarters and -hine 

 a generation appears. It is not until July that any marked 

 damage is done to the leaves of a[)ple, plum and damson ; then all 

 stages of the insect can be found at once. The adult (Fig. -lil ) may 

 be told by its lieautifuUy-mai-ked an- 

 terior wings, with six bright orang(.' and 

 vermilion spots, on a ndlky - wliite 

 ground, and witli a large dusky net- 

 work at tlie apex. 



Their length \-aries from :'> to 

 o''J mm. Both nymiihs and adults 

 feed mainly on tlie underside of tlie 

 leaves, but by no means always. 



They are not \'ery acti^'e, and can 

 easily be taken at rest on a dull day. 

 When disturbed tliey take a leap from 

 the leaf, and then using their wings, 

 often fiy a couple of feet or so a^\-a}'. 



Egg-laying seems a laborious task. By means of a saw-like 

 structure the female cuts a slit into the under epidermis, and places 

 one or more eggs just beneath it. A very minute and faint olilong 

 spot marks where tliey have been laid. 



The ova are very delicate, white, and obloug-oval iu form, some- 

 wdrat cur"\-ed on one siile, and blunt at each end. When nearly ready 

 to hatch they may lie seen witli a strong lens under the epidermis, 

 their position being plainly marked by the dark eye spots of the 

 embryos. Length 0*04 mm. 



Eggs under oljser\"ation were found to hatch in four days, but 

 how long they had been laid was not known. Slingerland (15) sliows 

 that the American Grape Vine Leaf Hopper (TiiphJocijlm. rani ex) 

 remains two weeks in the egg stage, and it is quite likely this is 

 about the period taken liy Tiiiililnciihii qnci'cux. 



\A. V. I>. /,'. 



(T,ii.hU„;jhn ,,„ 



