42O ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Nov., 'l6 



Notes on Zonocerus elegans Burm. (Orthop.) 



By STEPHEN G. RICH, Adams Institute, Amanzimtoti, Natal, 



South Africa. 



Zonoccrns elegans Burm. is a very common Acridid in the 

 coast and central districts of Natal. It is i l / 2 to 2 inches long; 

 the abdomen is very thick, in both sexes. 



This animal shows "flash coloration" in a most interesting 

 way. Its blood and saliva both possess an extremely disgust- 

 ing odor, not unlike that of the skunk in America, but less 

 penetrating. Both these fluids are irritating to the skin and 

 mucous membrane. The abdomen of Z. elegans is bright yel- 

 low, the wings vermilion to Indian red, the prothorax gray- 

 green, and the head black-and-orange mottled. The antennae 

 show alternate bands of black and orange, and the eyes are 

 dark red. 



These animals are exceedingly conspicuous, and gather on 

 dry, sunny, open places, especially on hard roads. Fowls, birds, 

 etc., do not touch them at all. So thoroughly protective is this 

 coloration that, when disturbed, Zonocerus does not even jump 

 far, but hops perhaps ten inches. Repeated urging will pro- 

 duce a jump of some three feet at most. 



The wings are not functional. About a third of the males 

 and a tenth of the females have wings of usual size, which they 

 flutter when jumping: but these do not jump any farther or 

 better than the common forms. The more usual form in both 

 sexes has wings not over half an inch long, which are never 

 moved. A few forms with wings of intermediate size are 

 found in both sexes, but more often in the male. 



That none of these are nymphal is shown by their all being 

 found in copulation. The various forms copulate with each 

 other freely, and quite as often with those of different-sized 

 wings as with those of like wings. 



Copulation takes place in March and April, and oviposition, 

 in the ground, occurs at once. The male remains on top of the 

 female during oviposition. The females die immedialrlv after 

 oviposition and the males a little later. The earliest nymph I 



