GRASSHOPPERS AND OTHER INJURIOUS INSECTS OF 1911 AND 1912. 



17 



ilar retarding of development due to moisture or conditions of ex- 

 posure. 



Certain facts noted in regard to egg-laying and mating deserve 

 consideration. As a result of very numerous dissections and count- 

 ing of eggs in the bodies of female grasshoppers, it seems probable 

 that more than one egg mass is deposited. It was noted that in case 

 of females infested with fly larvse (see under discussion of para- 

 sites) there were notably fewer eggs than normal. Blatchley, 

 (Orthop. of Ind. p. 145) speaking of grasshoppers afi'ected by these 

 fly larvgg says, "they never mate" — this we (Somes) rather doubt, 

 as we have found females so infested and yet having 24 to 40 eggs 

 in the ovary. 



The old figure of Riley showing that in oviposition the abdomen 

 of the female is thrust downward and somewhat forward is evi- 

 dently open to criticism, for in addition to Cooley's contribution on 

 this point, Howard last summer observed in M. bivittatus a decided 

 modification of the method as described by Riley. In other words, 

 the egg pocket does not point directly down, or downward and for- 

 ward, necessarily but may be directed somewhat backward, even to 

 such an extent as to be 

 nearly parallel with 

 the surface. See Fig. 

 12a. That this fact 

 has a definite bearing 

 on the old theory of 

 the advantages of 

 "turning over the 

 pockets with the 

 plow" is self-evident. 



To prove or dis- 

 prove certain state- 

 ments of farmers as fi; 

 well as investigators 

 to the efl['ect that amongst destructive locusts, the females far out- 

 number the males, counts were made at difi'erent localities with the 

 following results. Each count is made up of the number caught in 

 ten sweeps of the net where the hoppers occurred. 



^f. hi ritlatus ovipositing-. Wings worn and frayed. 

 C. W. Howard. 



