OKTHOPTERA. 



R T II O r T E K A . 



THIS suborder may be briefly characterized as having free 

 biting mouth-parts, with highly developed organs of nutrition 

 and digestion. The lirst pair of wings are somewhat thickened 

 to protect the broad net-veined hinder pair, which fold up like 

 a fan upon the abdomen, and the hind legs are large and 

 adapted for leaping. The transformations are less complete 

 than in the previous groups, the larva; and pupa- being both 

 active and closely resembling the imago. All the species are 

 terrestrial, the more typical forms having remarkable powers 

 of flight, besides leaping powerfully. 



The grasshopper is the type of the group, the other families 

 1 tearing more or less resemblance to the allied suborders, 

 especially the Neuroptera. The head is very large, and much 

 more bulky than in the Coleoptera or Hemiptera, the mouth- 

 parts being so large, requiring large and broad pieces to sup- 

 port the muscles of the head ; its position is vertical, rarely 

 becoming horizontal. The ocelli are two or three in number, 

 while often obsolete. The eyes are small, very convex, and 

 placed far apart. The antenna- are liliform, often of great 

 length, and exceeding the length of the body several times, the 

 joints being very numerous and much alike in size and shape. 

 The elypeus is large, the suture very distinctly separating the 

 base, and the labrum is large, with the edge rounded, slightly 

 bilobate, and partially concealing the mandibles, which are 

 strong and large, and toothed within. They are more perfect 

 than in other insects, presenting both cutting and grinding 

 surfaces. The maxillae are very distinctly lobed, the outer lobe 

 (galea) somewhat dilated and (in the Blattarise) ensheathing 

 the long, sharp-toothed inner lobe, and the palpi are live- 

 jointed. The mentum is large and transverse, while the labium 

 is divided into four lobes like the maxillae, the outer pair (para- 

 glossae) resembling those of the maxilla?, and in the true grass- 

 hoppers ( Acrydium), being expanded into a broad, flattened, 

 -mouth, concave plate. The labial palpi are from three to four- 

 jointed. The lingua is large, fleshy and channelled above. 



