Il8 AN INTRODUCTION TO ENTOMOLOGY. 



8. Scudderia. — The Narrow-winged Katydid, Scudderia curvi- 



cauda, is the common species of this genus. It is quite abundant in 

 many parts of the country. The tegmina are long and narrow, 

 hence the common name. The eggs of this species " are laid singly 

 in the edges of leaves, between the upper and lower cuticles, and 

 are so thin that they are not noticeable except when the leaf is held 

 between one's self and the light. They swell very considerably, 

 however, in the spring, before hatching." (Riley.) 



IV. The Shield-backed Grasshoppers. 



9. Thyreonotus. — These are wingless, dull-colored grasshoppers 

 which offer a striking appearance, owing to the great size of the pro- 

 notum. This segment is so enlarged as to extend back over the 

 other two thoracic segments. The ovipositor of the female is also 

 greatly developed, and is nearly straight. We have in the eastern 

 half of the United States two widely-spread species. T. dorsdlis has 



Fig. 106. — Thyreonotus. 



the pronotum well rounded behind. In T. pachymerus (Fig. 106) 

 it is nearly square. The hind legs and ovipositor are longer in T. 

 dorsalis than in the other species. 



In the region west of the Mississippi River are found wingless 

 grasshoppers which are known as " Western crickets." These belong 

 to the genus Anabrus. This genus resembles TJiyreonotus in the 

 shield-like pronotum and the large size of the ovipositor, but differs 

 in having the presternum unarmed, while in the former genus there 

 are two spines between the base of the front legs. Three species of 

 Anabrus have been described. " A. colorddus is the smallest, and 

 has the abdomen distinctly marked by transverse bands; A. purpu- 

 rdscens, dark purplish brown, mottled with yellow; A. simplex, dark 

 shining brown. This species varies considerably in color, being 

 found of every shade from light brownish yellow to almost entirely 

 black ; specimens are sometimes found that are partly yellow and 

 partly black or dark purple." A. simplex is sometimes very destruc- 

 tive to crops. 



