394 



NATURE SKETCHES IN TEMPERATE AMERICA 



used in flight. The long-winged forms of this species are 

 seldom found. 



I have found the short-winged green locust on various 

 occasions at the point above mentioned, and in September and 

 October it was mating. At this time also, in the fall, it was 

 accompanied by several species of the green grasshoppers 

 of the genus Xiphidium. As will be seen in the plate illustra- 

 tion bearing three figures of this insect, there is a great dis- 

 crepancy between the size of the male and the female. The 



Landscape view shoiring the habitat of the short-icinged green 

 locu.st. 



males are so much smaller than the females that they might 

 be taken at first glance for a ditt'erent species. While the 

 female is usually green, an occasional brown individual occurs. 

 In the green form, a narrow dark line extends backwards 

 behind the eye, and over the lateral lobes of the thorax, or 

 pronotum. The green-backed male is dull brown, excepting 

 the bright green coloring covering the top of the head, disk of 

 the pronotum, and the dorsal, or up|)er surface of the tegmina; 

 or sometimes this part of the wing-covers is brown. I have 

 called attention to this locust in another chapter, " Among 

 the Sand Dunes in Late Summer," also noting its habitat. 



