Zoology.} NATUKAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Insects. 



Plate 129. 



ACRIPEZA RETICULATA (Guerin). 

 The Netted Acripeza. 



[Genus ACRIPEZA (GuErin). (Sub-kingd. Articulata. Class Insecta. Order Ortkop- 

 tera. Section Saltatoria. Fam. Gryllidae.) 



Gen. Char. — Head small, oval, with a small frontal projection. Antenna? approximate, 

 long, capillary, 1st joint large, 2nd short. Eyes globular, very prominent. Labrum rounded ; 

 mandibles pointed ; maxillary palpi a little longer than the labial, terminal joint truncated, 

 slightly swollen at tip, a little longer than the penultimate joint. Prothorax short, disc 

 slightly flattened, transversely ridged, posterior margin very rounded, lateral keels slight. Pre- 

 sternum smooth, without spines, meso- and meta-sternum wide, most so in females. Elytra 

 of female nearly as long as abdomen, hard, curved so as to fit over the back and sides of the 

 abdomen, with very strong, prominent reticulations ; of male long, narrow, rounded at tip, 

 extending beyond the abdomen when at rest, longitudinal veins sinuous ; stridulating organ 

 opaque on left, with transparent centre on right. Wings absent in female ; large in male, with 

 anterior third covered with large, coarse reticulated ridges, rest of wing with the usual veining 

 of the Gryllida?. Abdomen short, thick, swollen in female, with ovipositor and appendages 

 very small, scarcely visible ; moderate in male, with setaceous appendages, short, curved inwards 

 at tip; sub-anal plate of male notched at tip, not extending beyond tip of abdomen. Feet long, 

 slender ; thighs smooth ; legs thick at extremity, with some fine short spines, anterior tibia? with 

 oval cavity at base covered by a membrane ; posterior feet moderately short in the female, very 

 long in the male ; thighs of male slender, as large as tibiae ; upper keels of tibias with very small 

 spines. Australia.] 



Description. — Male: Elytra narrow ; elytra and wings nearly three times as 

 long- as the abdomen ; stridulating spot on base of right tegmina large, clear, trans- 

 parent, and colorless, covered over by the left tegmina when at rest. Veining coarse 

 and irregularly reticulated, but less so than in the female. Wings large, transparent, 

 with brown veins, and slightly opaque and brown at anterior edge and tip. Length 

 from forehead to end of abdomen, 9h lines; length of each of the elytra (or tegmina) 

 and wings, 1 in. 8 lines; width of tegmina, 7 lines; length of antennae, 1 in.l line; 

 length of thorax, 3 lines; length of hind thigh, 10 lines; length of hind tibia, 11 

 lines; length of anterior thigh, 4 lines; length of anterior tibia, 4 lines. Color: 

 Of thorax and tegmina nearly opaque, dark brown, with indistinct greyish and 

 blackish cloudy markings or spots; abdomen dark brown with lateral red bands on 

 anterior part of each segment above; the edges of the segments have a row of about 

 18 small, longitudinal, bright blue, oblong spots; antennae and legs blackish-brown, 

 with transverse bands of pale yellowish -brown; head lighter, with two black bands 

 from the eyes to the prothorax ; anterior edge of prothorax showing a cinnabar-red 

 band when head is bent down, invisible when head erect. Female : Length from 

 forehead to end of abdomen, 1 in.; length of tegmina, 9 lines; length of abdomen, 

 8£ lines ; depth of abdomen, 6 lines ; width of tegmina from one inrolled edge to the 

 other, 4 lines ; length of thorax, 3 lines ; length of antennas, 1 in. 1 line ; length of 

 hind thigh, 8 lines; of hind tibia, 8| lines; length of anterior thigh, \\ lines; 

 length of anterior tibia, 4 lines ; abdominal appendages, f line. Elytra oval, little 

 longer than the abdomen, and curved so as to fit its convexity when covering it 

 above and on the sides when at rest; with very prominent, coarse, unequal, irregularly 

 anastomosing netted veins ; abdominal segments plicated on hind edge; thorax oblong, 

 flattened above, deflected at sides, posterior edge plicated, two transverse impressed 

 lines in front. Color : Head yellowish-grey with irregular mottlings of black, two 



[ H3 ] 



