408 NATURE SKETCHES IN TEMPERATE AMERICA 



The Greex-striped Locust 



Only a few of our locusts hibernate in the immature stage, 

 most of the species passing the winter in the egg. The green- 

 striped locust, Chortophaga viridifasciata, is one of the first 

 to mature in the spring from the nymph that has passed through 

 this cold period. It is a great delight to visit the haunts of 

 this locust. At the border of an oak copse, after the snows 

 have just melted, one finds him in a fresh dress of vivid green. 

 Even as early as March the nymphs of this species may be 

 found on a sunny day in comj)any with the cpiaker and the small 

 grouse locusts that have also weathered the winter. The green- 

 striped locust is trichromatic in color pattern, that is, it presents 

 a green and a l)rown form, and in addition a mixed type occurs 

 which seems to be a hybrid of the two former varieties. In the 

 green form, shown in the plate photographic illustration in 

 the upper left-hand figure, it is tinged with a beautiful jjinkish 

 purple on the antenna', lower face, under surface of the body, 

 fore and middle legs, the hind tibiae and median carina of the 

 l)ronotum. The wing-covers when closed are marked by a 

 dorsal stripe of ash brown. 



On May seventh I found these insects abundant in a blue 

 grass meadow east of the l)es Plaincs River, at Riverside, 

 Illinois. On fiushing the locusts from the ground here, they 

 usually arose with a rapid, noiseless flight, keeping low to the 

 earth. They often flew in a slightly curved course before 

 they finally dropped into the grass, a distance of from five 

 to seven yards away. The male sometimes gave out a faintly 

 audible rustling sound only when his wings were thoroughly 

 dry. Being much smaller than his mate he was less conspicu- 

 ous on the wing, and ai)peared somewhat erratic in the zig-zag 

 flight he pursued. During the warm sunlight, if these locusts 

 were rej)eatedly followed, they generally arose a number of 

 times from the grass. But instead of always hiding so, they 

 would sometimes prefer to vary their behavior by hiding in 

 the dead bleached grass which lay flat among the standing 

 green herbage. In this case, either of the color varieties I 

 have described was equally effective in concealment of the 

 body. In the meadow habitat I have above mentioned more 



