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Sub-order IV. LOCUSTODEA. 



(Long-horned Grasshoppers.) 



It is unfortunate that the locusts of ill repute do 

 not belong to the Locustodea, or Long-horned Grass- 

 hoppers. The locust-swarms, in fact, which some- 

 times devastate wide regions in climates warmer than 

 our own, are Short-horned Grasshoppers, and belong 

 therefore to the Acridiodea. There has existed, it 

 must be admitted, a great deal of confusion with 

 regard to the names of the larger divisions of the 

 grasshoppers and crickets, but, according to the 

 arrangement here followed, the colloquial term " locust' 

 does not refer to insects which are included in the 

 group Locustodea. Kir by in his ' Synonymic Catalogue 

 of the Orthoptera ' prefers to use for this group 

 the name Phasgonuridas, and to transfer the name 

 Locustida3 to the Acridiodea. or Short-horned Grass- 

 hoppers. Presuming that this S}^stem of nomenclature 

 is better, it, on the other hand, has the very great 

 drawback of making " confusion worse confounded." 



We may define the Locustodea as : Orthoptera with 

 hindlegs longer (often much longer) than the forelegs or 

 midlegs, and leaving the femora swollen at the base ; 

 tarsi of four segment* ; fore tibiae generally provided with 

 an "ear' situated just belon: the knee, the "musical* 

 apparatus (when present) being found on the basal part 

 of the elytra of the male ; antennae very long and slender 

 (there being more than thirty segments) ; ovipositor usual!// 

 long and sword-shaped ; many 'wingless species. 



Fifteen families are usually given as comprising the 

 Locustodea : 



W.* 1. STENOPALMATIDJE. W.B. 6. DECTICIDJS. 



2. GEYLLACRID^. W.B. 7. LOCUSTIDJS. 



3. HETRODID.E. W. 8. SAGTD.I:. 



W. 4. EPHIPPJGERID.E. 9. TYMPANOPHORIDJE. 



5. CALLIMENID^. W.B.* 10. CONOCEPHALID^:. 



W = represented in Western Europe ; B = represented in the British 

 Isles. 



