ABSTRACT
Membracids exhibit a variety of social patterns which are consistent within generic and, in most cases, tribal lines. Many tropical Membracids in wet, lowland forests interact with ants. Membracids may benefit the host in a manner analogous to extrafloral nectaries. The degree of host specialization, the predictability of the resource in space and time, and resource quality appear to influence Membracid life histories. In lowland wet forests with high ant and plant diversity, the majority of Membracid species appear to interact with ants and are polyphagous. Membracids with parental care should be on evergreen hosts and be polyphagous with restricted dependence on ants. The influence of predation, ant mutualism and host plant specialization is modified by constraints imposed by geography. In view of these geographical considerations, different types of Membracid life histories are predicted in varying geographical regions and habitats.
