436 FAMILY VI.--ACRir>IPJE. THE LOCUSTS. 



204. MELANOPLUS KEELERI (Thos.), 1874, 69. Keeler's Locust. 



Larger and comparatively more slender than its variety, M. k. luridus. 

 General color usually darker, above fuscous-brown, often with a tinge of 

 purplish-red; beneath dull olive or dark greenish-yellow. Tegmina of 

 female with larger fuscous spots along the median area. Oblique fuscous 

 bars of hind femora and black ring at base of hind tibiae usually wider and 

 more prominent. In structure very similar to M. k. luridus, the principal 

 differences being those given in the key. Cerci extremely variable in form, 

 the lower fork in two of the males at hand being only a sharp tooth-like 

 projection less than one-fifth the length of the upper one, while in another 

 the lower fork is represented only by an angular protuberance, less dis- 

 tinct than in M. confusus. Length of body, $, 19.527, $, 2635; of 

 antenna?, $, 1010.5, $, 910; of pronotum, $, 55.5, $, 6.36.7; of 

 tegmina $, 1722, $, 19.526; of hind femora, <J , 13 15, $, 15.5 18 mm. 



Gainesville and Dnnedin, Fla. (W. N. B.} ; Mobile, Ala. (Lod- 

 itiff) ; Thomasville, Ga. This is a species of southern range, which 

 has been recorded from numerous stations in northern Florida 

 by Davis and R. & H., and probably occurs throughout the main- 

 land of the State, though apparently scarce in winter and in the 

 southern portion so far known only from Miami. Thomas de- 

 scribed it from a single Florida female. Only one pair has been 

 taken at Dunedin. They were swept from wire-grass in open pine 

 woods on December 4. The Thomasville, Ga., specimens were col- 

 lected by Hebard among the undergrowth in similar woods, Dec. 

 3 10. The difference in size between the sexes is much greater 

 than in the northern race luriilii*. the females being much the 

 larger. 



The known range of kcclcri extends from Petersburg, Ya., 

 along the Atlantic coast to Dallas and San Antonio, Texas, Scud 

 der's types of M. deletor. now recognized as a synonym of kcclcri. 

 being from Dallas. Fox (1017) records kcclcri from a number of 

 stations in Virginia, stating that there it ''occurs typically in the 

 grasses and low shrubbery of dry open woodlands." McNeill 

 (ISOOa, 300) recorded it from Arkansas, but his specimens were 

 probably in great part those of the northern form as he was the 

 first to give an opinion that kcclcri. dclctor and luridus are forms 

 of a single species. Morse (1007, 40) states that he too was un- 

 able to separate satisfactorily Arkansas specimens of the three 

 forms and records them all under the name kcclcri from numer- 

 ous localities in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas, stating that it is 

 a very common species in and near woodlands, apparently not oc- 

 curring on the treeless plains. The .17. tcncbroxux Scudder (1870, 

 63) is a synonym of keclcri. 



