-j^Qg IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



obtrusive collector. As a matter of fact this proves to be only 

 a remarkable adaptation to its food plant (Elymiis) in color, 

 form and life-history. 



Th9 linear aspect and dark dorsal stripe, more or less broken 

 or obscured, harmonize so well with the ordinary rusty Elymus 

 stem to which it closely adheres and from which it can scarcely 

 be driven, either in larval or adult stage, that ib is detected 

 with great difiisulty. They rely on this mimicry for protection 

 rather than upon flight or leaping. So perfect is this protec- 

 tion that one may look for some time at a few stems of grass 

 where dozens of the insects are known to occur and fail to 

 locate them. 



The figure shows the distinctive features sufficiently and a 

 full description is unnecessary here, but it may be proper to call 

 attention to the fact that there are two forms of females, one 

 having the elytra very short (wings proper rudimentary), as 

 figured, the other with much longer wings and smaller body 

 and more pointed rostrum, more closely resembling male. This 

 flies readily while the other is entirely incapable of flight and 

 never leaves the plant on which it is hatched. The males are 

 all long-winged. 



It is single brooded, the adults appearing about the middle 

 of May and continuing in decreasing numbers until the end of 

 July. During the last week in May and the first week in June 

 the eggs are deposited; the female selects a spot about two 

 inches above the base of the first or second leaf from the bot- 

 tom; having selected the spot apparently with much care, she 

 takes her position head upwards, legs placed close together 

 and tarsi clasping the stem; then, raising the body the length 

 of her legs and curving the abdomen upward, she unsheathes 

 the ovipositor from the pygofers and brings its tip down against 

 the grass stalk, pointing backward Slightly from the perpen- 

 dicular; she then moves slowly around the stem keeping the 

 body parallel with it and the guides pressed firmly against it 

 until they catch under the edge of the encircling l^af sheath; 

 having done this they are gradually forced under the sheath, 

 usually extending almost half way round the stem. As they 

 are gradually forced ia the abdomen straightens and then hol- 

 lows until, when the ovipositor is fully inserted, the abdomen 

 is curved down and the pygofers ar3 pointed upward and back- 

 ward at more than a right angle with the guides. Having 

 reached this position she works slowly backwards, opening the 



