80 Studies in Kansas Insects. 



Melanoplus femur-rubrum DeGeer. 



This species is commonly known as the red-legged grasshopper or 

 locust, and is common everywhere. The general ground color is brown- 

 ish-fuscous, often with a yellowish or olivaceous tinge. The head and 

 pronotum are mottled with fuscous and olivaceous; a piceous postocular 

 band extends beyond the prozona and widens posteriorly. Front margin 

 of prozona slightly emarginate; the transverse sulci of prozona not cut- 

 ting the median cai'ina. * Tegmina surpassing the hind femora by various 

 lengths. (A specimen from Colorado in our collection has tegmina not 

 much over half the length of the abdomen; the specimen is only about 

 half as large as the ordinary specimens found here.) None of these 

 specimens with abbreviate tegmina have been found in Kansas so far. 

 The tegmina are more or less maculate; upper face of hind femora tri- 

 fasciate; hind tibia red or pale blue, though more often red. 



Measurements in Millimeters. 



Length of body: 



Male 22.0-26.0 



Female 23.0-27.0 



Tegmina : 



Male 19.0-22.0 



Female 19.5-22.5 



Antennae: 



Male 9.5-11.0 



Female 8.5- 9.5 



Hind femora : 



Male 12.0-13.5 



Female 14.0-15.5 



Localities. Found everywhere over the entire state. 



As stated under M. atlanis, this species compares pretty well in size 

 and color with atlanis, and the two may easily be interchanged unless 

 a close examination is made, as they both are very common and at 

 times become numerous enough to be of real economic importance. 

 Writers on Orthoptera have reported this species as inhabiting mostly 

 lowlands, but our collections from the extreme western part of the 

 state shows that this species was just as numerous on the plains as any 

 of the other species. In the summer of 1913 femur-rubrum was quite 

 numerous in western Kansas and did considerable damage, especially to 

 the alfalfa fields. 



Melanoplus bisjnnosus Scudder. 



Cinerio-fuscous, very slightly ferruginous. Tegmina surpassing the 

 hind femora by from 2 to 3 mm.; hind tibia dull green to brighter green, 

 spines ten to twelve in number in the outer series. Extremity of male 

 abdomen slightly clavate, very little upturned; the furcula diverge 

 slightly. In the other characters the specimens at hand correspond very 

 well with those given by Scudder. 



Measurements i.v Millimeters. 



Length of body: 



Male 23.5-26.5 



Tegmina: 



Male 19.0-22.0 



