Zoology.'] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Insects. 



Plate 110, Fias. 1-0. 



(EDIPODA MUSICA (Fab. sp.). 



Australian Yellow-winged Locust. 



[Genus CEDIPODA (Latr.). (Sub-kingd. Articulata. Class Insecta. Order Orthoptera. 

 Section Saltatoria. Earn. Locustidae.) 



Gen. Char. — Head vertical or nearly so ; anterior face convex, with four vertical keels, 

 two median close, outer ones lateral ; eyes large, oval ; ocelli three, one between tbe two median 

 keels, below base of antenna?, and tbe otbers at inner edge of eye between tbe median and 

 lateral keels, above the base of tbe antennae. Antenna? multiarticulate ; joints indistinct, 

 cylindrical, shorter than head and thorax. Prothorax moderate ; disc flat, with a median 

 keel and another, less distinct, on each side ; anterior half transversely striated. Three sternal 

 pieces between the legs, wide, not armed with spines, smooth, flattened. Feet moderate; four 

 anterior tibia), spinose below; posterior pair with two rows of spines above, except at base; 

 tarsi 3-jointed, with first joint longest, divided into 3 parts below, the last joint with a very 

 small cushion between the claws. Abdomen thick, long, moderately compressed, terminated by 

 four short, pointed pieces, in the female ; sub- anal plate of male extending slightly beyond the 

 end of the abdomen, triangular, pointed, and a little curved upwards, convex below; abdominal 

 appendages short, setaceous. Anterior wings, or tegmina, usually longer than the abdomen, 

 opaque towards the base, with all the transverse nervures almost equally fine, anterior margin 

 narrow ; never dilated nor transparent ; posterior wings usually nearly as long as the tegmina.] 



Description. — Head brownish- or yellowish-green, a polished, black, triangular 

 spot below the eye and outside the outer keel and the base of the antenna?; man- 

 dibles bluish at base, with black tips ; prothorax brownish in front, pea-green behind 

 in most specimens, but occasionally dark brown ; keel dark brown, and one or two 

 black blotches on sides ; tegmina extending beyond the abdomen when at rest, basal 

 half of posterior margin nearly opaque and pea-green in most specimens, brown in 

 others, middle and anterior portions dark brown, with one conspicuous, narrow, 

 transverse, whitish, transparent band about one-third of length from base, with an 

 imperfect, similar band or spot about half-way between base and tip ; distal half 

 more transparent, irregularly mottled with transparent, pale brown, irregular spots 

 and dark brown nervures. Posterior wings a little shorter than tegmina, with basal 

 half rich sulphur-yellow, with a slight greenish tinge, beyond which is a broad, 

 brownish-black, opaque band curving from middle of anterior edge to anal angle, 

 where it narrows ; beyond this, the wings are transparent, nearly colorless, with 

 brown nervures and a few dusky spots near tip, but very variable, sometimes forming 

 a large, cloudy, apical spot. Abdomen, antenna;, and anterior feet greenish tawny- 

 brown ; inferior groove of hind thigh bright red ; tarsi and tibiae dull red, with a 

 yellowish band near base of tibiaa ; thighs greenish, with a large blackish, dull red, 

 or purple transverse band on inner side. Length, 1 in. 5 to lines ; length of 

 tegmina, 1 in. 2 lines to 1 in. 6 lines ; width of thorax between bases of tegmina, 

 3 lines ; length of hind wing, 1 in. 1\ lines; length of antenna?, b\ lines ; male 

 smaller and with proportionately longer antenna, otherwise similar to females, length 

 1 in. 1 line ; length of antennae, 5| lines. Proportionate measurements — Female 

 (large specimen) : length, 1 in. 7 lines ; tegmina, j%° - ; hind wing, -ffl-§ ; antenna', 

 i 3 oV Male: Length, 1 in. \\ lines; tegmina, /'^ ; hind wing, ^j ; antenna?, j l 3 & . 

 Vars. — The coloring varies considerably, especially in the proportion of green and 

 brown on the head and thorax, the darkness of the brown mottling on the tegmina 



Vol. II.— Decade XI. -y. 41 ] 



