GARDEN FLEA-HOPPER IN ALE ALFA. 21 
SPRING APPEARANCE AND NUMBER OF GENERATIONS. 
The adults of the garden flea-hopper in the latitude of Columbia, 
S. C, usually appear about the middle of March. Much depends 
upon the season, however, and they have been found soon after the 
host plants become green and spring is well in evidence. The adults 
appeared and deposited eggs as early as March 14, 1915, in the field 
experiments at Columbia, which was the earliest date recorded of 
the discovery of eggs in the outdoor experiments. Eggs have been 
secured in the outdoor cages throughout the year, beginning with 
the middle of March and continuing until the last of November. 
From five to six generations were reared at the Columbia laboratory. 
The length of life of each individual is determined largely by the 
length of life of the adult stage, this being the longest period of the life 
cycle. 
The first generation was found to extend from March 14, 1915, 
when fertile eggs were first deposited, to May 15, 1915; the second 
generation extended from May 15 to July 12, 1915; the third from 
July 12 to September 11; the fourth from September 11 to November 
18, and the fifth from November 18, 1915, to February 10, 1916. 
FEEDING HABITS. 
In almost every instance noted the youngest plants are attacked in 
preference to the older and more vigorous growths, and when the 
insects start feeding on a plant they apparently continue until all 
the sap is extracted, giving the plant a bleached appearance. During 
the warm seasons the tendency is to feed at the top of the plants, but 
during cool days and seasons they feed rather at the bases of the 
plants. It has been noticed that during warm days the individuals 
seem to show no particular inclination for protection from the sun 
by seeking the shady side of the leaf. When they are disturbed, 
however, they immediately seek a place of concealment on the plant 
or hop to the ground in quest of protection. 
In feeding on the host plant, the individual places itself in a posi- 
tion parallel to the surface of the leaf, preferably on the upper surface, 
with its legs resting on the surface. Then the proboscis is swung 
down from the ventral side of the body to a perpendicular position 
and the apex is thrust into the epidermis of the leaf at a point mid- 
way between the prothoracic legs, the proboscis is hinged at the 
second articulation, the head and thorax being bent slightly down- 
ward to allow the first and third articulations to meet, the sucking 
tube remains straight as the open sheaths of the second and third 
segments leave the sucking tube, and a slight pressure is placed on 
the apex of the proboscis. * lechanical procedure ensues similar 
to the pumping process, in which the head and thorax move slightly 
upward and downward, not sufficiently, however, to straighten the 
