THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



25 



COURTING AND MATING OF OECANTHUS FASCIA TUS, 



HARRIS. 



BY J. P. JENSEN, ENTOMOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT, CORNELL UNIVERSITY. 



It was my good fortune to observe during the latter part of August, 

 in Southern Minnesota, the courting and mating of Oecanthus fasciatus, 

 one of the tree-crickets as yet without a common name, unless we call it 

 the "Dark Whistler," a name proposed by Professor Comstock. 



The insect under observation was doing his best, and I watched the 

 wonderful, rapid motion of the wings that were elevated above the back 

 at an angle of about 60 degrees, and making a blur to the eye so fast were 

 they being rasped together. A female was soon seen hurrying up the 



Fig. 1. — Courting habits of Oecanthus fasciatus. 



stem, but still near the base. She stopped, twirled her antenna? and 

 walked a little higher, then ran out on a leaf and back again, plainly 

 guided by the music. When within a foot of the male he detected her 

 presence. The song changed, it was more broken. She ran out on 

 another leaf searching for the male, and he bent out a little farther and 

 apparently redoubled his efforts. The leaves were only a few inches 

 apart, and she either saw or heard that he was still higher up, for she ran 

 back to the stem, mounted to the leaf where the male was and ran out on 

 it, but on the under side, placing herself longitudinally upon it. The male 

 turned, placed himself in similar position and was quiet, the only motion 

 noticed being the swaying and gently stroking together of the black 



January, 1909 



