570 



OBTHOPTERA. 



Ltibrticlor to the Mississippi. The Caloptenus spretus Uhler 

 (Fig. 564, a), appears in immense numbers in the country be- 

 tween the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains, and extending 

 from the Saskatchewan river on the north to Texas. Tin- 

 native breeding-places of this species cover an area in Wyom- 

 ing, Montana, and British America, north of Montana, of 

 about 300,000 square miles. From this area in seasons of 

 excessive drought it migrates south-eastward, sometimes flying 

 nearly a thousand miles. 



Dr. Lincecum thus describes the ravages of C. spretus in 

 Texas: "Last spring the young were hatched from the egg 

 in the early days of March ; by the middle of the month they 

 had destroyed half the vegetation, although the insects wen- 

 wingless and not larger than a house-fly. The first winged 



specimens were seen high in 

 the air at about three in the 

 afternoon ; as a light northerly 

 breeze sprang up. millions 

 dropped to the earth, cover- 

 ing the ground in an hour, 

 and destroying every green 

 thing with avidity. During 

 the night they were quiet, but 

 at daybreak commenced to 

 eat, and continued until ten in the morning, when they all flew 

 southward. At about three o'clock in the afternoon of the 

 name day another swarm arrived, ten times as numerous a> 

 the first; these again took flight the following day ; and thu.-> 

 they continued, coming and going, day after day, devouring 

 the foliage and depositing their eggs. At first they selected 

 bare spots for this purpose, but finally the whole surface of 

 the earth was so broken up by their borings that every inch 

 of ground contained several patches of eggs. This visitation 

 was spread over many hundreds of miles." C. bivittatas Say 

 is a large dull green, or olive colored species, with red leg>, 

 and is very abundant in gardens. 



Romalfft mirroptera, called the "Lubber grasshopper" in 

 Florida, feeds on the leaves of the orange. (Glover.) It is 

 nearly three inches long ; the prothorax is keeled, and the 

 wings only cover half of the abdomen. The larva is reddish, 



oi4. 



