PSYCHE. 



NOTES OX THE ACRIDIDAE OF NEW ENGLAND.— II. TRYX- 



ALINAE.— I. 



BY ALBERT P. JIOHSE, "WELLESLEV, MASS. 



This sul>fnmilv is nearly related to 

 the Oedipodinae, the division between 

 them being somevvliat arbitrary and 

 depending upon personal opinion. In 

 New England there are two distinct 

 groups, one of typical Tryxalinae, the 

 other consisting of a genus, Mecos- 

 tethus, closely approaching the Oedi- 

 podinae. as shown especially in the 

 structure of the tegmina and stridulat- 

 ing apparatus, but also in the form of 

 tlie vertex and pronotum. 



With a single exception, in ex'ery 

 member of the subfamily here treated 

 the male is provided with a stridulating 

 apparatus for producing sounds serving 

 to attract the other sex. These sounds 

 are produced while the insect is at rest 

 by rubbing the hind femora against the 

 tegmina, the sound being due to the 

 vibration of the tegmina caused by the 

 friction of a row of fine teeth against an 

 opposing surface. The teeth are usu- 

 ally borne on the internal ridge of the 

 femur, but in Mecostethus the inter- 

 calary' vein of the tegmen, and some- 

 times its adjoining venules, bears the 

 rasping surface, the ridge of the femur 

 being smooth. In this connection it 

 should be said that several Oedipodinae 

 have this vein more or less routrliened 



or even distinctly toothed, especially 

 Encoptolophiis sordidus, and stridulate 

 at rest as well as during flight, as I 

 have observetl the above-mentioned 

 species and Circotettix vemiciilattts 

 to do. This sound-producing appara- 

 tus varies specifically, and each kind of 

 locust doubtless has its distinctive note 

 which is appreciated by particular ears. 

 The notes are also varied in some 

 degree at the will of the performer. 

 vSurrounded by them on every side, for 

 some are among the commonest of 

 insects, how few there are who ever 

 give a second thought to these little 

 serenaders in the grass ! Here is a 

 wide and extremelv interesting field 

 awaiting observers which has hitherto 

 been cultivated almost alone by Mr. 

 Scudder, who has published a note- 

 worthy paper upon the subject in the 

 23rd Report of the Entomological Soci- 

 ety of Ontario, references to which will 

 be found under several of our species. 

 Of this subfainily ten species are 

 known to occur in New England, and 

 I have treated here two additional ones 

 which have been taken by Beutenmiilkr 

 on Long Island in the near vicinity of 

 New York and which will probably he 

 tbund in Conn. Of the ten two were 



