EARTH-PUCERONS, in natural history, a name given by authors to a species of puceron very singular in its place of abode. In the month of March, if the turf be raised in several places in any dry pasture, there will be found, under some parts of it, clusters of ants; and, on a farther search, it will be usually found, that these animals are gathered about some pucerons of a peculiar species. These are large, and of a greyish colour, and are usually found in the midst of the clusters of ants.
The common abode of the several other species of pucerons is on the young branches or leaves of trees; as their only food is the sap or juice of vegetables, probably these earth kinds draw out those juices from the roots of the grasses, and other plants, in the same manner that the others do from the other parts. The ants that conduct us to these, are also our guides where to find the greater part of the others: the reason of which is, that as these creatures feed on the saccharine juices of plants, they are evacuated from their bodies in a liquid form, very little altered from their original state; and the ants, who love such food, find it ready prepared for them in the excrements which these little animals are continually voiding*. It has been supposed by some, that these were the common pucerons of other kinds, which had crept into the earth to preserve themselves from the rigour of the winter. But this does not appear to be the case; for they are usually met with in places very distant from trees or plants, on which they should be supposed before to have fed; and it is very certain, that though many of these insects are killed by the cold, yet many escape, and are found very early in the spring, sucking the buds of the peach-tree. There is no doubt of these creatures being in a feeding condition when under ground; because otherwise the ants would have no temptation to follow them: and it is equally certain, that the several species of the pucerons, like those of the caterpillar kinds, have each their peculiar herbs on which they feed, as many of them will die of hunger rather than feed on any others; and it is not at all likely, that these earth pucerons had been used to feed on leaves of trees and plants, and had left that food for the roots of grass.