Grasshoppers 



Their presence about fields during warm weather in winter is responsible 

 for many reports of early hatching of grasshopper eggs. 



Hatching begins during late May and early June and extends over a 

 considerable period of time. Those eggs deposited on sunny, south 

 slopes and in other protected locations hatch first. 



The young grasshoppers or nymphs (Fig. 9, Plate IV, Page 17) re- 

 semble the adults but lack the wings of the latter. During their develop- 

 ment they shed their skins several times. With each molt they resemble 

 the adults more closely. Just before the last molt they appear as shown 

 in Figure 1 , Plate V, Page 19. At this time the wings are represented 

 by four pads on the back of the insect. 



During the process of molting, grasshoppers cling to some plant to 

 which the cast skin often remains fastened for some time. 



With the last molt the grasshopper becomes an adult with fully de- 

 veloped wings. Mating soon takes place and egg deposition begins, 

 usually, about the middle of August and continues until cold weather 

 kills the grasshoppers. 



NATURAL ENEMIES 

 Flesh Flies 



The larvae of several species of flies belonging to a family popularly 

 known as "flesh flies" are parasitic upon grasshoppers. 



Figure 3, Plate IV, Page 17 represents a flesh fly 7 which was 

 reared from the two-lined hopper. The larva or maggot of this fly is 

 shown in Figure 4, Plate IV. 



The flesh flies here referred to are viviparous, which is to say that 

 they give birth to living maggots instead of laying eggs. 



Mr. E. O. G. Kelley* describes the manner in which one of these 

 flies places its larvae upon the host hopper substantially as follows : 



While the hoppers are on the wing the female flesh flies strike them 

 on the under side of the lower wing, at the same time depositing a tiny 

 maggot near its margin. When struck the hopper drops to the ground. 

 The maggots were observed by this author to crawl along the margin of 

 the wing to its base and then to enter the hopper's body through some 

 natural opening or tender tissue. Once within the hooper the maggots 

 feed upon its body fluids until mature. The hoppers usually live until 

 the maggots are nearly full grown. However, these parasitized hoppers 

 are apt to be sluggish and inactive several days before their vitals are 

 destroyed and they die. When mature the maggots leave the dead 

 hopper, burrow into the ground or conceal themselves underneath trash, 

 change to pupae and later into adult flies. 



The flesh flies are foremost in the list of insect enemies of the grass- 

 hopper and are of the greatest value to agriculture. They seldom appear 

 in buildings in numbers, being denizens of the fields where their good 

 work is done. 

 Ground Beetles 



Several species of beetles commonly known as ground beetles (See 

 page 130) are known to feed upon grasshopper eggs as well as the grass- 

 hoppers, especially in their immature stages. 



*"A New Sarcophagid Parasite of Grasshoppers," Journal of Agricultural Research. Vol. II, No. 6 

 (1914). 



( 7 ) See explanation of "Reference Figures," page 2. 



105 



