PSYCHE- 



THE MELANOPLI OF KANSAS. — I. 



BY S. J. HUNTER AND W. S. SUTTON, 



The discussions wiiich follow refer 

 to species taken in the State during the 

 field work of the past two seasons. It 

 has not been the endeavor to ascertain, 

 at this time, tlie number of species 

 existing within the State. The study 

 has been conducted more especially 

 with reference to the subject of varia- 

 tion. Later it is probable that the work 

 may take the form of a survey of the 

 group. The greater part of the mate- 

 rial studied has been taken along the 

 Arkansas river south of Oflerlie in Ford 

 county by Hunter, in Hamilton county 

 three miles east of Syracuse by Hunter, 

 and in Russell county about three miles 

 northwest of Russell, by Sutton. The 

 order followed in this group is that of 

 Scudder in his Revision of the Me- 

 lanopli.* 



Hesperotettix. 



H. fratensis Scudder. — Tegmina of 

 four of the six specimens exceed the 

 abdomen in length. In two of these 

 cases one male and one female by 3.5 

 and 3 mm. respectively. Scudder says 

 "tegmina about length of abdomen in 

 both sexes." In his key, however, he 

 says tegmina distinctly surpass tiie ab- 

 domen (in the male) or equal it (in 



* Rev. Ofthopt. group Meldnopli (Acridiidae) with 

 special ref. to N. A. forms. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. Vol. 

 XX. pp. 1-421, PI. i-xxvi. 



KANSAS UNIVERSITY, LA%VRENCE. 



the female) Male ceici straight, not 

 " feebly down-curved." 



Qiiite rare, taken only in bulTalo 

 grass pastures. A species mucii sought 

 after by both parties while collecting, 

 and taken, as the field notes show, only 

 on cloudy days after rain. At these 

 times it was very active. Is it possible 

 that its alertness under favorable condi- 

 tions, warmth and sunshine, keep it 

 beyond the range of the collector.' 

 Only three females and two males 

 (Ford county) and one male (Russell 

 county) were taken. Tlie beautifid 

 white dashes upon the lateral aspect of 

 the thorax fade out entirely in the dried 

 specimens. As far as our knowledge 

 extends, now first reported from Kan- 

 sas. 



H. spcciosus Scudder. — All speci- 

 mens have median carina of pronotum 

 " pink roseate," some conspicuously so. 

 Humeral angle of hind margin of met- 

 azona hardly apparent. In the three 

 males before us the subapical tubercles 

 are transverse, and one distinctly 

 though not deeply bifid. Scudder says 

 this bifurcation occasionally happens 

 in drying. In this case shrivelling is 

 not apparent ; it appears to be a natural 

 structure. Lower half of labrum and 

 space between vertical carinae of upper 

 half, piceous. Coloration here not 

 given by Scudder. Several nymphs of 



