SYNOPSIS OF THE ORTHOPTERA OF WESTERN EUROPE. 11 



in the south and rarer in the centre, reaching as far north as Paris. 

 It is not common in Austria, and occurs in Bohemia. The record 

 from Norfolk is ahnost certainly due to mistaken identity. 



Family II : Trigonidiid^. 



This family contains a few curious beetle-like little crickets, with 

 horny, arched elytra ; the hind femora are thick right up to the apex ; 

 the second tarsal segment is cylindrical. 



Genus I : Trigonidium, Serville. 



Small, beetle-like : the only European cricket in which the ovi- 

 positor is curved. 



1. Trigonidium cicindeloides, Serville. 



Small, dark indigo-blue ; hind-legs reddish. Length of body, 

 4mm. g, 6mni. $; of pronotum, 1mm. <? , l*2mm. 5; of elytra, 

 3mm. J , 4mm. $ ; of ovipositor, 2'2mm. $ . 



This curious little cricket is easy to recognise by its dark blue-black 

 indigo colour, reddish hind-legs, horny elytra, and curved ovipositor. 

 It is a Mediterranean species. In France recorded from Hyeres and 

 Corsica ; in Spain, from Malaga, Algeciras, Barcelona, and Minorca ^ 

 in Italy, at Naples, Brindisi ; also in Sardinia and Sicily. Eastwards, 

 it extends into Asia. It may be found in moist places, in swamps, on 

 grass, and reeds. 



Family III : Gryllid^. 



This family contains the true crickets ; several genera occur in 

 Europe. 



Table of Geneka. 



1. Hind tibiaj unarmed at the base : anterior tibiae with 

 tympanum : Elytra perfect or abbreviated. 

 2. Spines of posterior tibiae long, slender, and 

 mobile ; first segment of posterior tarsi neither 

 sulcata nor serrate above . . . . . . 1. Nemobios, Serv. 



2.2. Spines of posterior tibiffi fixed and strong : 

 first segment of posterior suleate above, and 

 sulcate on each side. 

 3. Vertex rounded ; elytra and wings generally 

 perfectly developed. 

 4. First segment of anterior tibiae compressed, 

 longer than the other two combined ; 

 anterior tibiffi with two internal spurs like 

 spines ; ovipositor as long as, or longer 

 than, posterior femora. 

 5. More or less hairy ; anterior tibiffi with 



tympanum ; head more or less depressed 2. Geyllus, Linn. 

 5.5. Hairless ; anterior tibiffi with no tym- 

 panum on front side ; head not 

 depressed . . . . . . . . 3. Gryllodes, Sauss. 



4. First segment of anterior tarsi cylindrical, 

 shorter than the other two ; anterior tibiffi 

 with two inner spurs dilated ; ovipositor 

 very short . . . . . . . . . . 4. Brachytrypes, Serv. 



3.3 Vertex acute { 9 ), or produced into a veil-like 



process; elytra abbreviated ; wings absent. . 5. Platyblemmus, Serv.^ 

 1.1. Posterior tibiffi serrate at the base, spined beyond 

 the middle ; elytra absent ; anterior tibise with no 

 tympanum. 

 2. Elytra distinct in j , very small and almost 



