166 

 Orthoptera 



ACRIDIID^ 



Syrbula admirabilis Uhler. 



One specimen of this grasshopper was found in the tall prairie 

 grasses blue-stem Andropogon and Panicum (Sta. I, g) Aug. 8 (No. 

 3). ]\Iorse ('04, p. 29) says this species frequents "open country" 

 and is "common in upland fields arriid Andropogon and other coarse 

 grasses." 



Bncoptolophus sordidns Burm. Sordid Grasshopper. (PI. XXXIX, 



%• !•) . . , 



One nymph of this species was taken in the prairie-grass colony 



north of Charleston (Station I, ^) Aug. 12 (No. 44) ; another (No. 



158) on Aug. 24 in the colony of Lepachys pinnata (Sta. I, e) ; and 



an adult (No. 48) Aug. 13 at Loxa (Sta. II, a) from the flowers of 



Silphiiim integrifoliurn. 



This is a species characteristic of dry open places, where the 



vegetation is low. The peculiar snapping sound made by the male 



when on wing is quite characteristic. (Cf. Hancock, '11, pp. 372- 



373-) 



Dissostcira Carolina Linn. Carolina Grasshopper. (PI. XXXIX, 



^^- 4-) . . 



A very reddish specimen of this species was taken in a cleared 



bottom forest at River View Park, about three miles southeast of 

 Charleston, Aug. 19 (No. 95). Many specimens were observed in 

 the pasture above the "Rocks," on the Embarras River about three 

 miles east of Charleston. These individuals exhibited to a marked 

 degree the hovering, undulating flight which is so characteristic of 

 this species during the hot days of summer and early autumn. Town- 

 send (Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., Vol. i, pp. 266-267. 1890) has made 

 interesting observations on this habit, and finds that it is mostly the 

 males which participate in this courting ceremony, as he considers it. 

 There appears to be more or less of a gathering of individuals when 

 one of the locusts performs. There were perhaps half a dozen per- 

 forming in the colony observed at the "Rocks." Townsend (Can. 

 Ent., Vol. 16, pp. 167-168. 1884) has considered this flight as re- 

 lated to breeding. Some one might study this subject with profit, 

 and determine its meaning. Poulton's paper "On the Courtship of 

 certain Acridiidse" (Trans. Ent. Soc. London, 1896, Pt. 11, pp. 2t^t^- 

 252) might prove helpful in this connection. 



This species seems to have been influenced by man to a marked 

 degree. Its original ha1)itat appears to have been natural bare spots. 



