2Q2 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Jb% ' IO 



may be heard in the rank growths of oats, wheat and alfalfa 

 in fields throughout the region. 



Conocephalus fusco-striatus is strictly a nocturnal insect and 

 stridulates most freely during warm, moonlight evenings. It 

 is not musical during cold nights. Owing to its habit of ap- 

 pearing as soon as spring opens, this locust is frequently sub- 

 jected to severe spells of weather approaching wintry condi- 

 tions. Throughout Northern Georgia and other portions of 

 the South there occurred in late April, 1910, phenomenal spells 

 of cold weather, together with remarkable falls of sleet and 

 snow. For a long period there were almost no signs of mus- 

 ical insect-life, but with the final appearance of warm nights 

 following, C. fusco-striatus was again as noisy in the trees and 

 shrubs as before. 



The stridulation of this Conocephalus is a loud, harsh, 

 snappy z-z-z-z-z-z continued for many minutes at a time. 

 Within a few feet of the stridulating insect a strong, penetrat- 

 ing buzzing hum is noticeable, attended by almost continuous 

 harsh, snappy, unmusical crepitations which are audible for 

 long distances, and constitute the notes usually heard by the 

 distant observer. Tt is somewhat difficult, especially for those 

 who have not studied insect-stridulations, to locate one of these 

 inserts in a big field. Its powerful, penetrating notes seem to 

 permeate the herbage on everv hand, freouentlv causing!" no lit- 

 tle bewilderment in the mind of one who attempts to locate 

 the musician too carelesslv. 



C. fusco-striatus is a verv <;hv insect and cannot readilv be 

 captured unions approached with considerable care. Tt takes 

 tr> winT readilv. and flies verv freelv 1ono" distances in the 

 fields or from tree to trep. The writer's observations in the 

 imnpr Piprlmont rep-Jon of Georgia seem to indicate t^at this 

 is the nnlv Aperies of Cmmrcblwliis appearing- much before 

 midciTnmor. Tt is evident that C. fusco-striatHf is chararteri^- 

 ticallv an earlv sprinp- species, for its season of stridulation is 

 at its hHo-ht in April and earlv Mav. Somewhat later in the 

 season this Cnuoccphahts becomes silent, and other species be- 

 come musical with the passing of midsummer. Tt is probable 

 that few of our common species of Conocephalus are as ar- 

 boreal in their habits as C. fusco-striatus. 



