102 FAMILY v.— LOCUSTS. 



FAMILY V. 



LOCUSTS OR SHORT- HORNED GRASSHOPPERS. 



(Acndidx). 



The members of this family differ from other Saltatoria 

 in having the six to twenty-four jointed antennae shorter 

 than the body. They are either filiform, flattened, or ensi- 

 form, rarely clayate. The ovipositor of the female is short, 

 composed of four plates. The first segment of the abdomen 

 possesses on each side a supposed organ of hearing. An- 

 terior and middle legs about equal, or nearly so, in length, 

 much shorter than the posterior pair, which is fitted for 

 jumping. The tarsi are three-jointed, the first joint, usually 

 the longest and much longer than the second, has the under- 

 side marked by two cross impressions, which, when seen on 

 this side, give it the appearance of being composed of three 

 pieces. Wing-covers, when not in use, rest partly horizontal 

 on the back of the abdomen, and partly deflexed against the 

 sides. Most of the species possess wings, but in a few these 

 oro^ans arewantins;. The head isusuallv short and extended 

 horizontally in two of the sub-families. Immediately under 

 the vertex, but in some cases above it, there is on each side 

 a little space bounded by elevated ridges. These spaces are 

 called lateral foveolse, and their variations in form afford 

 characters much used in classification. The front is gen- 

 erally traversed by three vertical keels or carinse. The pro- 

 notum is divided into four lobes by three more or less well 

 marked transverse sutures, and is also frequently furnished 

 with a median crest. The hind tibiae carry upon the upper 

 side two rows of spines ; the numbers of these is of use in 

 distinguishing species; the presence or absence of the last 

 spine in the outer row is of much greater importance. Be- 

 sides these spines there are four articulated spurs, which are 

 situated in two pairs, one on the outer and one on the inner 

 side of the tibiae. In the male the ventral surface of the ab- 

 domen consists of nine segments, in the female there are but 



