If) 



THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



Life History, — This is one of the most famous migratory species, 

 often Hying in great swarms, and was formerly a serious pest in the 

 states west of the Mississippi River and often those just east. The 

 eggs are laid in small sacs in sandy or gravelly soils. They are 

 deposited during August and hatch in May and June. The growth of 

 the young hoppers is very rapid so that within a month they have 

 acquired wings and are ready to migrate. The breeding places are often 

 located in the higher altitudes, and the adults migrate to the lowlands, 

 many remaining along the path to deposit their eggs for tlie following- 

 year. In the fall the species returns to old or selects new breeding 

 grounds to deposit the over-wintering eggs. 



Distribution. — Throughout the State, especially prevalent in the 

 Sierra foothills from whence they migrate into the Sacramento and 

 San Joaquin valleys. Considerable numbers were collected around Lake 

 Tahoe during the months of July and August of last year. 



Fig. 14. — The yelow-winged or pellucid gnisshopper, 

 Camnula pellucida Scudd. (Original.) 



Food Plants. — This species is especially destructive to the grasses, 

 including oats, wheat, barley, etc. Alfalfa is seldom injured, not being a 

 favorite food. At present no serious outbreak of this pest has been 

 definitely recorded in California, though in the earlier days it must 

 have done considerable damage to the wheat crops in the interior valleys. 



THE VALLEY GRASSHOPPER. 



(h'dti'Icoiittt IIS iiiif/iiKf Scudd. 

 (Fig. 15.) 



General Appearance. — One of the smaller species, the adults being 

 about one fourth of an inch long. The general color is rich amber 

 with reddish hue around the eyes. The dorsum and carimp of the thorax 

 are dark. The tegmina are mottled with l)lack and dusky spots. The 

 antennae and first two pairs of legs are concolorous with the body, while 

 the femora of the hind legs are richly marked with black and the tibia? 

 are pale blue. The young are nearly of the same general color, with 

 the dark markings less pronounced. 



