ENEMIES OF ORTHOPTERA. 



25 



abound each season in such vast numbers as to prove a veritable 

 scourge. These enemies are many of them parasites which live 

 only upon Orthopterous forms, and when the latter are abundant 

 the parasites also increase in number, and soon devastate the 

 hordes of insects. Besides these parasites, many predaceous or 

 beneficial insects feed upon locusts and crickets; and birds, both 

 wild and domesticated, are exceedingly fond of them. These par- 

 asites, predaceous insects and birds are, therefore, of great benefit 

 to the farmer, and he should do all in his power to increase their 

 number, in order to keep within bounds the different species of 

 Orthoptera. 



VEGETABLE PARASITES. Among the most common parasites of 

 locusts are two or three species of vegetable fungi, which in wet 

 seasons attack them, sap their veins and in time destroy many of 

 their tissues. One often finds, after a long, damp spell in late 



summer, many dead specimens of our 

 larger locusts clinging to the tops of 

 weeds. A close examination will show 

 that their bodies are soft, and issuing 

 from them in many places are the ends 

 of fungus tubes. These locust fungi, 

 EntomoptJiom calopteni Bessy, Em- 

 pusa grilli Fres., and SporotricJium 

 ylob ttli fern nt Speg., for some unex- 

 plained reason often impel the insects 

 affected to climb some tall weed or 

 grass stem and cling to it with such 

 tenacity that the body remains long 

 after death. The spores given off from 

 the fungus of the diseased or dead lo- 

 cust, are more widely scattered by this 

 peculiar habit which the host insect 



Fig. 15. Locust Melan- . 



ofius birittatns (Say) killed has ot climbing tall weeds, as they can 



by a fungus. (After Lugger.) ,, ..., , _. 



the more readily be dispersed over wide 



areas. Besides these fungus parasites, other vegetable bacteria 

 attack locusts in favorable seasons. But this takes place only in 

 long warm, damp spells ; during which the locust has sought shel- 

 ter and been deprived of food. Many are then often congregated 

 together and one individual affected by the disease may inocu- 

 late hundreds. In a dry season, the locusts and green grasshop- 

 pers are much more healthy and abundant and the damage which 

 they do is much greater than in a wet one. 



