47 



counties of Nebi'aska, liut in man}' localities even in the central and 

 eastern portions of the State, where they did much local injur}^ to 

 garden truck and some field crops. Some of the localities where such 

 a state of affairs existed were in Antelope, Knox, Dixon, Cedar, Holt, 

 Valley, Custer^ Lancaster, and counties adjoining these. In these 

 sections the differential, two-lined, red-legged, and lesser migratory 

 species predominated, though others were also present in fair numbers 

 both upon the prairies and in cultivated fields. A number of the 

 local districts thus overrun were visited b}' myself or some member 

 of the entomological department of the University of Nebraska, while 

 others could not be reached for investigation. It was found that some 

 of these outbreaks embraced only a few farms or several hundred acres 

 of territory, while others extended throughout entire counties. The 

 species of locusts concerned in these also varied with the districts and 

 the nature of surroundings and crops grown. It was noted, however, 

 that Melanoplus differentialls and 31. hivittatus were usually the chief 

 offenders. 



One of the most important of these local or detached areas of locust 

 abundance was that in Custer County, with Broken Bow as a center. 

 In this region the plague assumed really alarming proportions, and 

 caused not a little uneasiness among the citizens, who earnestly sought 

 aid from the State entomologist and all other persons who might be in 

 a position to give expert advice. 



After carefully going over all the notes which have been brought 

 together during the various trips made while investigating this and other 

 insect pests and those accumulated in other ways, it is found that the 

 area now occupied b}'^ these insects in injurious numbers has become 

 much larger during the present summer (1901) than it was a year ago. 

 Practically all of the State west of the one hundredth meridian is 

 embraced, while the valleys of the Niobrara, Elkhorn, North and South 

 Loup, Platte, and Republican rivers are all more or less largely over- 

 run for 50 to 100 or more miles eastward. In some instances this is 

 true locally, even to the extreme eastern edge of the State. 



In order to show clearly the principal species of locusts thus con- 

 cerned, and their distribution over the country, the following list has 

 been prepared: 



Mcrmiria bivittata Serv. — McCook, Haigler, Sioux County, and in the sand hills 

 generally on unburnt prairies. 



Merntiria neomexicana Thorn. — Haigler and other southwestern Nebraska localities, 

 where it is found in company with the preceding species. 



Amphitornus hicolor Thorn. — A plains locust which occurs from middle Nebraska 

 westward to the Rocky Mountains, where it is to be met with in great numbers, 

 especially on the higher grounds among the shorter grasses. 



Opeia obscura Thorn. — McCook, Culbertson, Haigler, Sidney, Scotts Bluff, Craw- 

 ford, and Harrison, Nebr. ; Akron, Sterling, and Brush, Colo.; and Guernsey, Doug- 

 las, and Casper, Wyo. ; most abundant in buffalo grass. 



