14 GRASSHOPPERS AND OTHER INJURIOUS INSECTS OF 1911 AND 1912. 



Mvlanoplii^ foedus 



Hip pise UH It aid em a ii i 



Spharagemon boUi 



Padisma variegata, extremely rare, taken near Diiluth, 

 and a few other forms, some of which are not yet identified. 



A popular key to the four most destructive species in Minnesota 

 is here appended by means of which one should be able to tell, if he 

 desired, to what species any one of the four which he had under 

 consideration belono-ed. They all belong to the genus Melanoplus 

 and are all characterized by a small conical spine between the front 

 pair of legs. 



Large Bulky Forms; "Hind Legs" Not Red. 



Two light colored stripes along the back (along upper edge of 

 wing cover) ; body color variable from brownish to greenish 

 yellow; "hind legs" yellow or partly dark but not red. This is 

 known as the "Two Striped Locust" or sometimes as the 

 "Yellow Striped Locust." Its scientific name is Melaiiopln.^ 

 bivittatHs. 



As large or even larger; general color yellowish or greenish 

 yellow, without the two light colored stripes along the back; 

 "hind legs" yellow, never red. This is known as the "Clumsy 

 Locust" or the "Lubberly Locust." Its scientific name is 

 I\Iel(t uoplni^ differed t ialis. 



Medium Sized and More Slender; "Hind Legs" Nearly Always 

 Red. 



General color tan or yellowish brown; larger part of "hind 

 leg" has two distinct dark bars on the outer face; tip of ab- 

 domen in males, always with a distinct notch. This is the 

 "Lesser Migratory Locust" and is very closely related to the 

 "Rocky Mountain Locust." Its scientific name is Melanoplus 

 atlaiiis. 



General color reddish brown, without distinct dark bars on 

 hind legs; usually smaller and shorter winged than the 

 above; This is the "Red-legged Locust" or "Garden Locust." 

 Its scientific name is JMclaiiophiH foiuo'-i-iibnuti. 



In the above list it will be noted that Mr. Somes includes the 

 Rocky Mountain Locust, M. spretus, basing his statement upon the 

 collection of one specimen. We figure the specimen herewith. 

 While it has the ear-marks of the so-called species sp)-etus, we are 

 inclined to think that in its genital plates it resembles atlanis quite 

 as much as it does spi-etus. At any rate, the finding of this one 

 isolated example in the midst of so many other species, atlanis 

 among the rest, would appear to throw doubt upon the validity of 

 sp)-etHs as a species. 



A noteworthy fact in connection with our operations in 1911 

 was the extreme abundance of M. birittatiis, which easily led in 

 numbers of individuals in almost every infested localitv. From be- 



