LEAFHOPPEBS OF THE SUGAB BEET. 35 
THE BEET LEAFHOPPER. 
(Eutettix tend la linker.) 
DESCRIPTIVE. 
The adult (PL I, fig. 1, a) is a small, pale yellowish-green species, 
little larger than an Empoasca or Typhlocyba, with which it might 
easily be confused in the field were it not for the stouter build and 
greater activity. When fresh or when flying this leafhopper appears 
almost white, and for this reason it has often been called the "white 
fly." (Wing, PL I, fig. 1, c ; genitalia, PL I, fig. 1, d, e.) 
The eggs (PL I, fig. 1, /) are white, elongate, slightly curved and 
tapering at one end, and are thrust into the leaf stem in a slightly 
downward direction. At first they are scarcely visible (PL I, fig. 
1, g), but as the stem grows they are pushed out with the opening up 
of the injured spot until at hatching time they are often half free 
(PL I, fig. 1, h). After the eggs hatch, the egg scars continue to en- 
large and remain throughout the season as irregular, elongate, crater- 
like swellings (PL I, fig. 1, i). The eggs are deposited on all parts of 
the leaf stem, usually one in a place. In the cages they were often 
placed close together, very likely in this case by different insects, 
however, and a number were inserted into the midrib and secondary 
veinlets of the leaf and a few into the leaf margin near the base. 
The nymphs (PL I, fig. 1, b) are very active, pale creamy white or 
variously colored forms. The commonest form is pale creamy in 
color with a brown saddle on the middle of the abdomen and various 
mottlings on the prothorax and wing-pads. Some have the same pat- 
tern with a reddish ground color, more are creamy yellow, and occa- 
sionally one is seen with a broad and somewhat irregular dark stripe 
down the back. When small the nymphs will be found most com- 
monly down in the unfolding leaves at the center of the beet, but as 
they grow older they spread out over the plant. 
FOOD PLANTS. 
The original food plant of this species is still in doubt. In the 
spring it was found on greasewood (Sarcobatus), sea-blite (Dondia), 
several species of Atriplex, Russian thistle, and rarely on other plants 
of these two families occurring on the waste land. As these places 
dried up, most of the leafhoppers went to the sugar beets in the areas 
under observation. In one case, however, the species was found in 
some numbers on greasewood during egg-laying time, which would 
suggest this plant as its original host. Its known distribution is all 
within the area in which this plant is abundant. 
