76 



grylii. It is the cause of the disease that frequently attacks and 

 destroys myriads of both «native» grasshoppers and the migra- 

 tory ones. It works best during rather wet, warm weather in 

 midsummer, and seems to attack the mature insects rather than 

 the 3"0ung ones. At any rate it is much oftener the case that 

 the winged insects are killed by it than are the jumpers. 



When an insect has once been attacked by the fungus it 

 becomes rather sluggish in its movements and shortly before 

 death climbs up the stem of some weed or other plant and 

 securely attaches itself by tightly hugging the plant with 



Fig, 24. — Locust killed by 

 Empusa grylli. (After 

 Lugger). 



its front and middle pairs of legs. In this position it dies and 

 remains clinging for some time after death. The bodies of the 

 insects that die from the attacks of this fungus become some- 

 what swollen and quite soft, and brittle. A few days after death 

 the body dries and cracks open at the joints thereby permitting 

 the brown dust-like spores to escape and be blown about by 

 tlie winds. Other locusts upon eating vegetation on which such 

 spores may be resting, if the weather and other conditions are 

 favorable, likewise become attacked and die from the disease. 



