STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 155 



the base; hind legs comparatively slender. This is a tribe of harm- 

 less, non-migratory locusts, found everywhere in few numbers. 



B — Head ovoid or sub-globular, face perpendicular or nearly so, 

 never oblique; antennae not postulate, filiform (thread-like) or clavate 

 (club-form); hind legs generally robust, upper joint {femur) greatly 

 enlarged. 



In considering the members of this second tribe we arrive at last 

 at the two great races of locusts, which include the migratory and 

 sub-migratory genera with which we are concerned, to wit: Acridini 

 or spine-bearers; having the ^)ro.<?/ern7«w. (front breast) armed with a 

 spine or tubercle; includes the genera of ucridmin, j^ncltytijliis jjexo- 

 tettix, and the notorious Caloptenns, a species of which is the great 

 scourge of the West, described ffrf/podf/u', or spineless big legs; hav- 

 ing no spine or tubercle, but with the other racial characters of 

 enlarged femur, etc. ; includes the genera brachypeplus, tragocephala, 

 camnula, and the wdipoda, one species of which is migrarory in Asia, 

 and another is the sub-migratory and destructive locust of the Pacific 

 Coast. The distinguishing characteristic — the presence or absence of 

 the spine— may be readily determined by examining the under side 

 of the neck of a locust. The spine, if there, stands out from between 

 the fore-legs like a blunt thorn, very distinct. Among the spine- 

 bearers are found most of the locusts of both worlds, including all 

 but one of the predacious species. Omitting, at present all but the 

 genus adoptenus, we wdll briefly review its species. There are a great 

 many of them, most of which are harmless. 



MARAUDERS OF THE CALOPTENUS FAMILY. 



In America there are twenty-nine species, but three of which are 

 very destructive, and they are so often found in company and look 

 so much alike, that close examination is necessary for determination. 

 But first a few words as to general locust characters. There is often 

 a wide difference of size and color between the sexes, the male being 

 the smaller and often lighter colored. The genus under consideration 

 may readily be distinguished from other genera of the spine-bearers 

 by the distinct enlargement of the upturned last segment of the abdo- 

 men of the males. Caloptenns spretos, the "Hated Locust" of the 

 West, varies much in size, the members of invading swarms being 

 one-third larger than those broods hatched in the temporary region, 

 and which form the returning swarms described. The female 

 " invaders " are 1.15 to 1.45 of an inch long; the males about a quar- 

 ter of an inch shorter. Color, reddish brown, with fuscous spots; the 

 bright true wings extending about one-fourth their length beyond 

 the abdomen, the elytra of the same length, ashy brown, irregularly 

 spotted with reddish brown. The abdomen of the male is widened 

 posteriorly, turned upward like the prow of a boat and the last ven- 

 tral regrnant is distinctly notched at the apex. This notch is the most 

 salient character distinguishing the species from the following. Hab- 

 itat or home limited to the Rocky Mountains and vicinity, as stated. 

 None ever seen nearer California than the sink of the Humboldt, 

 Nevada, in 1871, by Mr. Thomas. The Sierra Nevada and (J!ascade- 

 ranges are supposed to forever bar out the hated sprctus Calopdenus 

 Jemurrubr wm, the 



