10 



CIRCULAR 10 6, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



their feeding is apparently of so little consequence, as is the case 

 with the nymph, that no injury is attributed to it. 



The adults fly readily, especially when disturbed, and in this way 

 become disseminated over the orchard and from one orchard or 

 alfalfa field to another. 



OVIPOSITION 



The adults spend most of the daytime on the fruit-tree twigs in 



Eggs are deposited from late in 



which the females lay their eggs 



Figure 8. — A, Tree hoppers (Stictocephala inermis) hatching from eggs deposited in 

 wounds in apple twig ; B, empty eggshells protruding from the egg pouches or 

 oviposition wounds. X 2 



July to the middle of September. With her ovipostor the female 

 cuts the slit into which she deposits her eggs, one at a time, until 

 the slit is filled. All species except the dark-colored tree hopper 

 deposit an average of about 6 eggs per pouch, while that species 

 deposits an average of nearly 20. (Fig. 7, b.) Probably 100 to 

 200 eggs in all are deposited by a female of any of the species. 



HIBERNATION 



The insects overwinter in the egg stage in the outer wood of fruit 

 trees and possibly in other trees and shrubs. As much as 10 months 



