252 FAMILY VI. ACRIDID.E. THE LOCUSTS. 



in extreme northwestern Illinois. Under the name of A. tenebrosa 

 Scudd., a synonym, it has been recorded by Sanssure (1888, 165) 

 from as far west as Vancouver and California, and southwest 

 from Kansas and New Mexico. His California record may have 

 been a mistake, as specimens at hand from both California and 

 Arizona received under the name A. tenebrosa are undoubtedly 

 distinct. In Colorado, Montana and Utah it appears to be com- 

 mon, Gillette (1904) stating that in Colorado it occurs to the New 

 Mexico line. 



Of the habits and stridulations of pseudonietana in Minnesota 

 Somes (1914, 30) has written: "For the most part it is found in 

 open places on dry soil, being often very abundant on gravel hills. 

 It has a flight which is strong, but not so vigorous as that of 

 carinatti or xanthoptcra, and its serial stridulation is less notice- 

 able than in these. It is a very beautiful insect and in flight ap- 

 pears almost like some brilliant butterfly. On a clear, hot day in 

 June we once noted two males of this species standing facing one 

 another about two inches apart. First one would raise the hind 

 femora and rub them briskly against the sides of the tegmiua a 

 number of times, producing a dull, rasping sound which to our 

 ears was certainly poor music; then he would drop to a position 

 of attention and his vis-a-vis would go through the same perform- 

 ance. This was continued for some time and we at length left the 

 two isolated 'fiddlers' on their hillside. Was this in some way 

 a competition or merely for the pleasure of the music?" 



Of its stridulation as observed at Sand Point, Mich., Shull 

 (1911) says: "The flight of this species is often accompanied by 

 a rapid clacking of the wings. When this occurs the flight is ir- 

 regular and butterfly-like. Without clacking flight is direct and 

 well controlled. A flight of 13 yards without sound occupied 3.2 

 seconds, while one of 12 yards with stridulation required 4.8 sec- 

 onds. All the individuals observed alighted on sand/' 



As already mentioned, the Ocdl^oda toi.cbrosa Scudder (1872, 

 251) is a synonym, as are also Arjtliia x<iii</nin<tri<i Stal (1873,119), 

 ToiiKtiiotH* tciiclH-oKii* Thos. (187:*., 107) and T. nlctnnns Thos. 

 (1880, 108). 



109. AEPHIA SULPHUREA (Pabricius), 1781, 369. Sulphur-winged Locust. 

 Smaller than A. xanthoptera, the male especially more slender. Color 

 varying from dark brown, almost blackish in some males, to pale brown; 

 tegmina of males often with a pale yellowish band along the dorsal or 

 hind margin; those of the lighter colored females often thickly sprinkled 

 with small fuscous spots; wings with basal two-thirds bright sulphur-yel- 

 low; outer third with a dusky curved band, from which a distinct dark 



