34 



INJURIOUS AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS OF CALIFORNIA. 



until summer, when mating and egg-laying begins, continuing until 

 autumn. 



Distribution. — This species is more often found in the San Joaquin 

 Valley and southern parts of the State, having been collected in Fresno, 

 Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Tulare counties. 



Food Plants. — This insect, though not as destructive and numerous 

 as the common grasshoppers, has done considerable to aid in the destruc- 

 tive work of the latter. It feeds on various kinds of vegetation, espe- 

 eially forage crops, including grasses, alfalfa, clover, etc. 



THE ANGULAR-WINGED KATYDID 



Microcentrum laurifolium Linnaeus 

 (Figs. 29, 30) 



Description.— The adult is a uniform green nearly throughout. The 

 ovipositor of the female is short, strongly curved, with blunt, finely ser- 

 rated tip. This species may be 

 distinguished from the Mexican 

 and California katydids by the 

 spines on the front tibiae. The 

 eggs are light gray or brownish, 

 flat, elongate-oval, about J inch 

 long, half as wide and glued us- 

 ually in double rows on the twigs. 

 The end of each egg overlaps the 

 other, as shown in Fig. 29. 



Life History. — The eggs are 

 deposited in the fall and consti- 

 tute the winter stage. In the 

 spring the young katydids escape 

 trout the exposed ends and im- 

 mediately begin work on the foli- 

 age, continuing their destruc- 

 tiveness throughout the spring, 

 summer and fall. The broods 

 are uneven, so all stages may be 

 found throughout the summer. 



Nature of Work.— The katy- 

 dids are usually of little eco- 

 nomic importance, though they 

 are vegetable feeders. This is 

 probably because of their inabil- 

 ity to breed in great numbers, as 

 do the grasshoppers. However, 

 they do some damage by gnaw- 

 ing small, irregular holes in the 

 rind of oranges when the fruit 

 is small, producing eventually a large, ugly scar, as shown in Fig. 30. 



Distribution. — This species is reported as occurring in the State 

 by A. N. Caudell. It is evidently not very numerous, as few specimens 

 are to be found in the collections of the State. 



Fig. 29. — Eggs of the angular-winged 

 katydid attached to twigs. The holes 

 have been made by the egg parasite, 

 Eupelmus mirabiUs (Walsh). Enlarged 

 twice. (Author's illustration, Mo. Bui. Cal. 

 Hort. Com.) 



