24 CIRCULAR 2 41, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



therefore very strong that eggs are deposited in the fall, survive the 

 winter, hatch early in the spring, and, developing as nymphs during 

 April or early May, reach the adult condition, as observed above, by 

 the middle of May. 



CONTROL. MEASURES 



As the eggs are quite certainly in the leaves or steins of dead grass 

 during the fall, winter, and early spring, it would seem almost cer- 

 tain that burning over the grassland where practicable would have 

 a very positive effect upon this species. Of course, this is not possible 

 in some cases on account of the amount of green vegetation that 

 would prevent burning, and in other cases, if the grass is too dry, 

 there would be danger of killing out the plants. Perhaps the best 

 results would come from burning while the ground is frozen and at 

 times when the upper portion of the grass is dry enough to carry fire. 



Figure 7. — Map showing distribution of Deltocephalus sayi 

 SAY'S LEAF HOPPER 



Say's leaf hopper, Deltocephalus sayi Fitch, is another widely dis- 

 tributed species, occurring in abundance in practically all kinds of 

 grasslands throughout the northern part of the United States, but 

 showing a preference for bluegrass in woody pastures. It seems to 

 have little preference for upland or low ground, except as the grass 

 becomes dry in midsummer, when it will be found gathering more 

 particularly in shady places or where extra moisture permits the 

 grass to remain more succulent. It has been recorded or observed in 

 localities all the way from New Hampshire to the Kocky Mountain 

 region and as far south as North Carolina, Kentucky, and Kansas, 

 and it probably has a distribution farther south at least along the 

 Appalachians. (Fig. 7.) Its numbers are sufficient to make it a 

 considerable pest in pastures and meadows where it occurs, although 

 it does not have the extreme abundance noted for D. inimicus or 

 D. striatus. 



