GARDEN FLEA-HOPPER IN ALFALFA. 19 
The female assumes the usual feeding position in which the body 
is parallel with the surface of the leaf. Apparently after a desirable 
place is located with the proboscis a puncture is made ; the curved or 
swordlike ovipositor is then advanced to the puncture made by the pro- 
boscis immediately after the removal of the proboscis; the ovipositor 
penetrates the puncture to its full length, and an egg is deposited 
in the cavity. After the ovipositor is withdrawn a large drop of clear 
fluid exudes from it, covering the exposed truncate end of the egg. 
The process of oviposition requires about 15 to 20 seconds, only 
one egg being placed in each hole. 
EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON OVIPOSITION. 
It was found that oviposition ceased when the temperature fell 
below 70° F., and there were no records of oviposition at tempera- 
tures above 90° F. In a number of cages (fig. 16) each containing two 
male and one female flea-hoppers were placed in a well- ventilated 
basement room of the laboratory, the temperature of which ranged 
between 75° and 90° F., most of the eggs were deposited in the 
daytime when a temperature of about 80° F. was reached, which 
usually occurred in the early morning. 
EGG STAGE AND PROCESS OF HATCHING. 
Several days before hatching the egg changes from its original 
pearly white to a pale clay-yellow color, this change being evidence 
of its fertility. The color of the egg resembles that of the nymph at 
emergence. The shape and position of the nymph, including the 
segments of the abdomen, the thorax, the head, the appendages, and 
the carmine-colored eyes, are distinguishable under a lens. In the 
egg the nymph is found with its head at the truncate end a short 
time before hatching, the covering of this end being broken at the 
edge or through the middle, and opening, in most cases, like a trap- 
door. The head appears through the opening followed by the thorax 
and abdomen. The body moves backward and forward in an effort 
to disengage the appendages from the chorion. The appendages are 
all laid snugly against the ventral side of the body. The proboscis 
is the first appendage to be released, followed by the pro thoracic and 
mesothoracic legs. These are then utilized to free the antennae and 
metathoracic legs. The entire process requires about one hour. 
The egg is slightly swollen before hatching. Following the emer- 
gence of the nymph the eggshell collapses and is semitransparent 
with red pentagonal to polygonal markings. The body and legs of 
the freshly emerged nymph are pale clay-yellow color, the antenna? 
straw color, and the eyes carmine. The egg period was found to 
range from a minimum of 6 days to a maximum of 16 days in the 
experiments carried out, with an average incubation period of 11 
days. 
