AN INSECT ENEMY OF COTTON AND CORN. 



53 



During the past summer a Cicada (fig. 1) was found doing serious 

 damage over a considerable area in the Ouachita Valley of Louisiana. 

 A search through the literature available to the writer has not re- 

 vealed, any reference to such a species as of economic importance, and 

 although we are far from familiar with the details of its life history, 

 it seems advisable to call attention to its destructiveness when occur- 

 ring in considerable numbers, especially in view of the possibility of 

 its becoming a serious pest should it become distributed over the 

 cotton belt and occur in as great abundance as it does at present in the 

 Ouachita Valley. In addition to this consideration, the habits of the 

 insect are, so far as observed, decidedly interesting. 



While collecting insects around an electric light in Shreveport on 

 the evening of June 7, 1905, five Cicadas, two of which were males, 



Fig. 1. — Cicada erratica: a, female; h, ventral view of female abdomen; c, side view of 

 ovipositor and sheath ; d, ovipositor ; e, ventral view of male abdomen ; f, antenna of 

 female; g, antenna of male. All more or less enlarged (drawing by Miss Charlotte 

 M. King). 



were taken, and as they were new to the writer they were sent to 

 Prof. Herbert Osborn, of the Ohio State University, who identified 

 them as C. nigriventris Walk. var. ( ? ) 6 



The work of the insect was first called to our attention by Mr. 

 August Mayer, a well-known planter of Shreveport, who brought to 

 the office of the crop-pest commission early in June cotton plants 

 containing numerous egg punctures. While Mr. Mayer had not suc- 

 ceeded in locating the insect making the punctures, he had found 

 the injury well distributed over his entire cotton field, although the 

 damage was by no means excessive and did not compare with the 

 more serious and extensive injury found in the Ouachita Valley later. 



6 Afterwards described by Osborn as Cicada erratica, n. sp., as stated in the 

 preceding footnote. — Ed. 



