594 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Two-marked tree hopper 



Eiichcnopa binotata Say 



A peculiar, brownish, black tree hopper with an enormous hornlike projection over 



its head, occurs in the fall on a number of plants. 



This little insect is very peculiar on account of the enormously 

 developed prothorax, which makes it appear as though it were the bearer 

 of a large horn. It is very probable that this structure is of advantage, 

 since the resting insect bears a very close resemblance to a thorn and on 

 this account is no doubt overlooked by natural enemies. This tree hopper 

 is specially fond of bittersweet, which it occasionally injures seriously. It 

 occurs on this plant during July and August in company with its young, a 

 group somewhat resembling a flock of old and young partridges in minia- 

 ture. The egg covering of this insect is as unique as the parent. It is a 

 snow-white, frothy mass about 3/ l6 inch long by yk inch broad, and an 

 examination with a lens shows that it is composed of a double row of 

 numerous small, stringy, transverse masses laid side by side, those of each 

 row meeting end to end along a somewhat irregular median ridge. See 

 plate 17, figure 15, for an illustration of the adult and plate 49, figure 4, for 

 a representation of the peculiar egg coverings. 



Description. The full grown insect has been described by Dr Harris 

 as nearly 3/ xo inch long, including tne horn of the thorax ; of a dusky brown 

 color, and with two yellow spots on the ridge of the back. When seen 

 sideways it presents a profile much like that of a bird, the head and neck of 

 which are represented by the curved projecting horn of the thorax. The 

 young of this little tree hopper, of various sizes, clustered together on a 

 stem of the waxwork, may be likened to a Hock of old and young 

 partridges. They appear to pass through all their transformations on the 

 plant, are fond of society, and sit close together with their heads all in the 

 same direction. The eggs, as stated by Dr Lintner, are arranged in much 

 the same way as those of the cicada, inserted through a single hole, in two 

 parallel series separated by a small interval. There are in each row from 

 six to 12 eggs, which partly overlap one another. They are elongated. 



