202 



FAMILY VI. ACRIDID^E. THE LOCUSTS. 



sylvania female and otherwise unknown, is very probably a syn- 

 onym of P. brachyptera. The description is based largely upon 

 the color; the length being given as 35 mm., and that of the teg- 

 mina as 6 mm. The type is lost. 



IV. MERMIRIA Stal, 1873, 90, 102. 



Elongate, moderately slender species having the head slightly 

 ascending, rather long, equalling or but slightly shorter than the 

 length of pronotum ; vertex horizontal, triangular or semi-ellip- 

 tical, its sides distinctly raised, apex either rounded or more or 

 less acute, median carina faint or wanting; face strongly oblique, 

 more so in male, frontal costa prominent, parallel and deeply sul- 

 cate above the ocellus, sometimes more shallowly and slightly di- 

 vergent below ; antennae strongly ensiform, equalling, female, or 

 exceeding, male, the head and pronotum in length ; pronotum long, 

 with disk slightly tectiforni, hind margin truncate, feebly round- 

 ed or slightly obtuse-angulate ; lateral carinae usually indistinct or 

 wanting, median one cut by the principal sulcus much behind the 

 middle ; lateral lobes vertical and parallel, front and hind margins 

 oblique, lower one slightty sinuate; tegmina and wings fully de- 

 veloped, equalling or slightly exceeding the tip of abdomen ; hind 

 femora long and slender; prosternum armed between the front 

 femora with a small obtuse tubercle ; subgenital plate of male con- 

 ical, shorter than the preceding ventral segment; ovipositor small, 

 short, feebly exserted. 



It \ 



Fig. 77. Structures of Mermiria. a, Apex of abdomen of male of neomexi- 

 cana', b, same of bivittata', c, dorsal view of pronotum of alacris', d, same of 

 bivittata; e, dorsal view of fastigium of alacris; f, same of neamexicana; g, same 

 of interte.rta; h, same of bivittata. (After Rehn.) 



Seven North American species were recognized by Scudder 

 (1899a, 41) ; eight by Kirby (1910, 104), and six species and one 

 variety or subspecies by Rehu (1919). Four species and one va- 

 riety have been recorded from the Eastern States, but no one of 

 them has as yet been taken in Indiana. 



