■ ' OETHOPTERA OF INDIANA. 247 



Color exceedingly variable, but in Indiana specimens usually a 

 light brown above, with a black bar extending back from the eye 

 along the upper half of the lateral lobe of pronotum; beneath yel- 

 lowish, the sides of abdomen spotted with black and the hind knees 

 of the same color. Sometimes the face and lower sides of pronotum 

 are gray, or even green. Antennae brownish yellow at base, the 

 apical halves brown or black. 



The tegmina of curtipennis are, in most females, about three- 

 fourths the length of the abdomen, while in the males they usually 

 reach to the tip of the abdomen; though they may be longer or 

 shorter in either sex. The males are apt to be mistaken for those of 

 Chlcealtis conspersa, but may be distinguished by the presence of the 

 foveolse, by the narrower black bar on sides of pronotum and by the 

 smaller and more slender body. 



Measurements: Length of body, male, 14.5 mm., female, 21 mm.; 

 of antennae, male, 9.5 mm., female, 7.5 mm.; of tegmina, male, 11 

 mm., female, 10 mm.; of hind femora, male, 11 lum., female, 13 mm. 



This is a very common locust throughout northern Indiana, but as 

 yet has not been taken south of Putnam and Vigo counties. It abides 

 in low, wet prairies, swales, damp meadows, and especially in the 

 vicinity of tamarack swamps. These conditions of local habitat are 

 common in the northern half of the State, but scarce or wanting in 

 the southern half, except in the extensive lowlands along the Wabash 

 E.iver in Knox and Gibson counties, but there the locust seems to be 

 wanting. In Putnam County it occurs in blue-grass pastures along 

 the banks of streams in open woodland. It begins to reach maturity 

 about June 20th. By July 1st, it has become fairly common, and it 

 may be taken until mid-October or even later, if the frosts are not 

 too severe. The males seem everywhere less abundant than the fe- 

 males. The former is an active and noiseless flier, but the female, 

 being usually shorter winged, endeavors to escape by leaping and 

 tumbling, and, says McNeill, "its astonishing facility as a tumbler 

 and contortionist generally discourages all but the most determined 

 efforts for its capture." Scudder has given a description of the song 

 habits of curtipennis as follows: '^'WTien about to stridulate, these 

 insects place themselves in a nearly horizontal position, with the head 

 a little elevated; they then raise both hind legs together, the hind 

 tibiae bent back snugly against the femora during the movement, 

 and grate the thighs against the outer surface of the tegmina. The 

 first one or two movements are frequently noiseless or faint. In 

 sunny weather the notes are produced at the rate of about six a 

 second, are continued from one and a half to two and a half seconds. 



