8o FARM FRIENDS AND FARM FOES 



So many of them, however, live concealed in grass lands 



that most people have little knowledge of their abundance. 



They are nearly all quite small insects, but doubtless do a 



great deal more damage than is commonly attributed to 



them. They suck the. sap from practically all kinds of 



> grains and grasses, and many infest trees, 



^^& W\ shrubs, and other plants. They are 



^yT" Ywr 'closely related to the Tree Hoppers found 



' W ' on the twigs of trees. 

 Tree Hoppers -t^, ,.r i • ^ r • r ^i. 



The life history of many species of the 



grass-feeding Leaf Hoppers has been carefully studied. 

 The eggs are laid in autumn in the grass blades and remain 

 unhatched through the winter. In spring they hatch into 

 tiny nymphs or larvae that suck the sap from new grass 

 blades and gradually develop into adult Leaf Hoppers. 

 During this process they generally molt or cast their skins 

 four or five times, reaching maturity early in summer. 

 There seem generally to be at least two broods of the grass- 

 feeding Leaf Hoppers in a season. 



In cases of great injury by these grass-feeding Leaf 

 Hoppers, it may be worth while to bum over the areas 

 most badly infested in winter or early spring, and thus de- 

 stroy the winter eggs. It has also been found that vast 

 numbers of the adult insects may be killed by the use of a 

 broad pan similar to the hopper-dozer often employed to 

 destroy grasshoppers. If this pan is covered with kero- 

 sene, tar, or some similar substance, the insects will be 

 caught and killed. 



Many crop pests are found among the Leaf Hoppers 

 that feed upon vines, shrubs, and trees. The Grape Leaf 

 Hopper is one of the most destructive and widely distrib- 

 uted of these. Its life history has been carefully worked 

 out in New York, where it has been found that the adult 



