490 ANNUAL REPORT OF NEW- YORK STATE SOCIETY. 



GIGAXTIC LOCUSTS. 



the wings spotted with black in a peculiar manner, as shown in the figure on 

 plate iii, these spots having some resemblance to waves running from the body 

 outwards and becoming more dense till they pass into a border which is totally 

 black, upon the hind margin of the wings. The wing covers of these species 

 also show faint spots forming obscure transverse bands. Agreeing v.ith each 

 other in these several marks, it is not surprising that these insects should have 

 been regarded as forming but one or two species, the differences between them 

 being imputed to a fading of particular specimens. The four species can be 

 most readily distinguished from each other by the ground color of their wings. 

 Their names and the colors alluded to are as follows : 



The Crested locust, j^crydiam cristatum, Linn. Greenish blue. 



The Leader locust, ^. Dux, Drury. Brick red. 



Latreille's locust, ^. Latreillei, Perty. Pale yellow. 



The Half-red locust, j^. semirubram, Serville. Vermillion red, the outer 

 half pale green. 



The females are usually three and a half inches long in each of these species 

 except the third, in which they measure from four to nearly four and :i ha'l 

 inches. Their males are remarkably smaller, being but about half the size of 

 the females. The Crested locust is the most common of all these gigantic 

 locusts, occurring in abundance along the river Amazon and other parts of 

 Brazil and in Cayenne. This has also received the name of White-legged 

 locust (albipes) from Degeer, Authors usually state this species to be four 

 inches in length, but my specimens received from M. Lacerda and others, each 

 measure as above stated. All the insects of this family, however, vary in their 

 size. The Leader locust inhabits the same countries with the Crested locust, 

 and according to Drury it occurs at Honduras also. Indeed it is probable that 

 each of these insects will be found in all the countries between the tropics. 

 Latreille's Ipcust has heretofore been known as occurring only along the Ama- 

 zon and in other parts of Brazil, but the specimens gathered by Lieut. Van 

 Rensselaer show that it is common at Panama also. Its width across the 

 extended wings is from eight to nine and a half inches, its thorax being 0.60 

 wide and 0.80 high. Its four anterior legs are an inch and a half long and the 

 hind pair 3. 05 to 4.10, its antennse 1.60. The specimens were preserved in 

 diluted alcohol, and are of a pale dull yellow color. The figures herewit 

 presented show the form of the several parts so distinctly that a detaile 

 description is scarcely necessary. According to Stoll's figures the male is ba 

 two and a half inches long with the colors brighter, and the wings of a rose-re>^ 

 tint bordered and spotted with black the same as the female. The Half-red 

 locust has as yet been captured only in Cayenne. It differs from the other 

 three species in having the wings destitute of a black border and spots. It 

 was first made known by StoU, under the name of the Yellow-horned locust 

 (Jiavicarne) , and this author appears to have regarded it as identical with a 

 Chinese species, the Rose winged locust (j^. roseiim) of Degeer, subsequently 

 K\^mQd Jlavicorne in the works of Fabricius, Donovan, Serville and others. 

 Qence Serville changed the name to that which it now bears. 



