CHARACTERS OF THE ORDER ORTHOPTERA. SI 



complain more than once about the losses inflicted by such 

 insects. 



With the exception of a single family of Orthoptera, the 

 Praying Mantes, Rear-horses or Soothsayers {Mantic/cE),a\l 

 the insects forming this order are more or less injurious to 

 vegetation, and as insects of the above family are not found 

 in our state it may be stated that all are injurious, and that 

 all demand the careful attention of the practical farmer and 

 of the student of agriculture and allied pursuits. 



CHARACTERS OF THE ORDER ORTHOPTERA. 



The Orthoptera form a very compact and natural order 

 if we omit the small family of Earwigs {For£culidas), as has 

 been done by many writers, and the characters of the 

 members of this order ma\^ be briefly stated as follows: 

 Thev possess four wings, of which the first or upper pair are 

 thick, leathery or parchment-like, overlapping while at 

 rest, and forming protecting covers for the xnuch more deli- 

 cate second or lower pair of wings, which are thinner and 

 folded longitudinally like a fan. The fore-wings or tegmina 

 are not used in flight, the hind wings are the true organs for 

 this purpose. Not all Orthoptera possess well developed 

 wings, and there are some wingless genera and species in 

 this order; in some cases the anterior wings are only rudi- 

 mentary or wanting. The mouth-parts are formed for 

 biting and chewing food. The metamorphosis is incom- 

 plete, i. e. insects belonging to this order have no period of 

 inactivity from the moment they are hatched to their adult 

 state, and the young insect alwaj^s resembles the adult one 

 or imiigo except in size and the absence of wings and perfect 

 sexual organs. 



The name Orthoptera is derived from two Greek words, 

 i. e. orthos — straight, and pteron — a wing. 



