T^SYCHE. 



NOTES ON THE ACRIDIDAE OF NEW ENGLAND.- 



ALINAE.— VII. 



II.— '1"RY.\_ 



BY ALBEllT P. MORSE, \VEr.I.E.<;i.F.Y, MASS. 



lo. Mecostetiius Fieb. 



Mecostethus Ficber 1S53. 83-11. il. 

 eur. Orth., p. ro. 



This genus is sharply distinguished 

 from tlie otiier New Enghiiid Tryxali- 

 nae by the structure nf the tcgniiiia 

 which possess a iiighlv-developed in- 

 tercalary vein. In tliis particuhir it is 

 closely allied to the Oedipodinae. This 

 vein ill the male is provided with a 

 rasp for stridulating, a structure found 

 in some Oedipodinae also. The pro- 

 notum also is somewhat Oedipodine in 

 character, having the melazona longer 

 than the prozona ; and the meeting of 

 the face and vertex is rounded in the 

 female. Referred at first to Arcyptera 

 and later to Stethophyma (incorrectly 

 Stetheophyma, — see Brunner, Prod, 

 eur. Orth., p. 139), our species be- 

 long to this genus and one of them 

 is very similar to tiie European one 

 forming the type. Our three species 

 were described by Scudder and have 

 been thought by some authors to be 

 but varieties of one, but tliev are iin- 

 doubtedb' distinct. 



13. Mecostethus lineatus Sciuld. 



Fig-^- '.3) 13=': 13b- 



Arcyptera Uncata. Scudder, 462. — 

 1S62.' 



Stetlicoplivma lineata. Thomas. 

 98. Fernald, 3S. 



Sieihopkyina lineata. Morse, 10^. 



This species is very similar to J/. 

 ffrossus of Europe. It is the most com- 

 mon one in tlie southern part of New- 

 England while n-raciHis is probablv 

 more often met -with in the northern 

 States. In addition to the characters 

 given in the i^ev the present species 

 differs from the others in having the 

 tegmina much longer and narrower 

 proportionally and their dorsal (anal) 

 portion is more nearly of the same tint 

 as the rest. The teeth of the rasp are 

 very low and dull. In coloration thi 

 females are very much darker than 

 those oi gracilis., lieing of a deep ])nr- 

 ple brown. (See also remarks uiuUr 

 other species.) 



About 200 specimens sliow- the fyl- 

 lowiii"- measurements : 



