120 CONNECTICUT GEOL. AND NAT. HIST. SURVEY. [Bull. 



Size medium. Eyes quite prominent and rather widely sepa- 

 rated. Pronotum short. Tegmina reaching about to the tips 

 of the hind femora, a little shorter in the female, sometimes 

 slightly surpassing them in the male. Color dark brownish 

 fuscous above, often tinged with reddish brown, yellowish below. 

 The bar behind the eye shining black, and extending across the 

 upper third of the lateral lobes of the prozona. Tegmina 

 brownish fuscous, the discoidal area more or less distinctly 

 marked with dark spots. Hind femora brownish yellow with 

 indistinct, oblique, fuscous bars on the upper and outer faces. 

 The lower face generally dull orange. Hind tibiae variable, pale 

 red, sometimes yellowish or lead-color. 



Measurements. 



Body Antennae Tegmina Hind Femora 



Female 19-24 7 -8 13.5-18 12-13. 5 



Male 15-18-5 6.7-7.5 11 -15 io-ii 



This is the earliest species of Melanoplus to appear, reaching 

 maturity early in June. Morse states that he has found it most 

 numerous among sweet vernal and blue grasses (Anthoxanthutn 

 odoratum, and Poa pratensis) in pastures and mowing-lands on 

 gravelly or sandy upland soils. 



M. luridus Dodge. M. collinus Scudder. 



i 



Fig. 46. Melanoplus luridus. a. Cercus of male. b. Ovipositor of female. 



A medium-sized, robust species. Vertex distinctly elevated, 

 somewhat swollen. Pronotum widened posteriorly with the disk 

 nearly flat. Median carina distinct on the metazona only. Teg- 

 mina about reaching or slightly surpassing tips of hind femora. 

 Color dark grayish brown to fuscous. Face dull bluish gray. 

 Top of head and disk of pronotum fuscous. The black bar on 

 upper half of lateral lobes of pronotum often faint, especially 

 in the female. Tegmina usually sprinkled with fuscous. Hind 



