Acrididae 



293 



lay eggs during a period of several weeks, in March, April and May, 

 depending on the latitude and season. The nymphs which have hiber- 

 nated become adults, mate, and lay eggs some weeks later. 



The southern species give about 

 four generations a year in the green- 

 house. They probably do not have 

 a definite hibernating period in 

 their natural habitats. 



Paratettix texanus, Apotettix 

 eurycephalus, Tettigidea lateralis, 

 Telmatettix aztecus, and Acrydium 

 arenosum have been bred in the 

 greenhouse at the Kansas Ag- 

 ricultural Experiment Station. 

 The first two mentioned have been 

 bred extensively. A. eurycephalus, 

 due to factors which have not been 

 ascertained, breeds better than any 

 of the others used. All, except A. 

 arenosum and some of the T. 

 lateralis, were from stocks secured 

 in southern Louisiana and Texas, 

 and the region of Tampico, Mexico. 

 They are bred best in a green- 

 house laboratory, with the tem- 

 perature ranging around 8o° F. 

 A variety of cages may be used, 

 but 8" x 12" glass cylinders, with 

 lids of 16-20 mesh wire, set in steam 

 sterilized loam in bulb pots, serve 

 very well. Sterilized sand is placed 

 in the lower part of the pot, and 

 around the cylinder. A smaller 

 empty pot is placed upside down 

 over the hole in the bottom of the 

 bulb pot. It is supposed to aid in 

 aerating the soil, and the food is 



Fig. 64. — Cage for rearing grouse locusts 

 and apparatus for transferring progeny. 

 (Transfer apparatus developed by Edgar 

 Millenbruch.) The glass cylinder is 8" 

 in diameter and 12" high, a, suction con- 

 nected with water air pump or sweeper; 

 b, cheesecloth; c, glass chamber into which 

 progeny are sucked; d, the glass cage 

 (covered with 16- to 20-mesh wire screen 

 lid); e, tape; f, corks; g, sand; h, bulb 

 pot; i, loam; k, inverted pot; m. air 

 chamber; n, algae. 



placed on its extension above the soil (Fig. 64). A pair of adults is 

 placed in a cage. The eggs are laid in the soil, or in masses of algae. A 

 few hours or a day or so after hatching the offspring are picked up by a 

 suction tube and transferred in batches of 20-25 to newly made-up 

 cages. At the 3rd-4th instar records may be made of the color patterns, 

 which do not materially change at any time, and the males and females 

 separated. 



