Grasshoppers 



The egg-eating Amara (Figs. 20, 21 and 22, Plate IX, Page 27) be- 

 longs to this family and is of especial interest because of the good work 

 its larvae did in destroying eggs of the Rocky Mountain locust in the 

 territories overrun by this insect in 1876 and 1877. 



Wherever grass- 

 hopper eggs are plen- 

 tiful, the larvae (Fig. 



20, Plate IX, Page 

 27) of this beetle will 

 be found. These 

 whitish yellow grubs 

 with brown heads 

 and dark shields on 

 each segment of the 

 body burrow among 

 the roots of grasses 

 (Fig. 16, Page 106), 

 where the female 

 grasshoppers have 

 deposited their eggs, 

 and destroy them in 

 large numbers. 



The change from 

 larva to pupa (Fig. 



21, Plate IX, Page 

 27) takes place dur- 

 ing early May and 

 the adult beetles 

 (Fig. 22, Plate IX, 

 Page 27) emerge two 



or three weeks later. 

 Blister-beetles 



The part which the larvae of blister-beetles play in the destruction 

 of grasshopper eggs has been discussed on page 96. However, the good 

 work of these larvae is partially offset by the adult beetles feeding upon 

 crops. 



Locust Mites 



The locust mite (Figs. 1,2, 17 and 18, Plate V, Page 19) is one of the 

 most interesting as well as important enemies of the grasshopper. This 

 little creature, which is closely related to the "chiggers" so common in 

 some parts of the country, is not an insect but belongs to the same class 

 of invertebrate animals as the spider. 



The animals of this class, which includes the scorpions, harvestmen, 

 spiders, mites, ticks and others, differ from the true insects in having four 

 pairs of legs instead of three pairs in the adult stage and in having the 

 head and thorax grown together. However, the immature stages often 

 have but three pairs of legs. 



During those years when the Rocky Mountain locust overran the 

 country west of the Mississippi river the ground was, at times, almost 

 red with locust mites. 



Fig. 16. 

 Eggs 



Exposed Grass Roots, showing Grasshopper 

 and Larvae of the Ground Beetle, Amara obesa 



106 



