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78 THE ACRIDIIDAE OF MINNESOTA 
Melanoplus fasciatus Barnst. Walk. 
Melanoplus fasciatus, like the preceding, is dimorphic, but so far 
as our records go the short-winged form, sometimes designated as 
M. f. curtus, is the only form as yet taken in Minnesota. In general 
coloration, this insect is of a dull grayish brown, tingeing to yellowish 
below. The postocular band is well marked and extends across the 
lateral lobes of the prozona. The tegmina, which are one and a half 
to two and a half times as long as the pronotum, are reddish or brown- 
ish, often somewhat maculate with darkish spots. Hind femora are 
dull yellowish with two rather well-marked, oblique, dark bars on the 
outer face, more distinct on the superior field; hind tibiae red, green- 
ish, or bluish, with a rather distinct pale annulation near the base. In 
Minnesota this insect matures early in July and frequents rather low 
areas, either wooded, as tamarack swamps, cut-over areas covered with 
Vaccinium, or open prairie among Carices. The male, which is darker 
in coloration than the female, is rather active when alarmed and leaps 
vigorously and erratically among the brushy growth, making capture 
very difficult. The species is in general northern in distribution. We 
have taken it at Fergus Falls, Warroad (Lake of the Woods), Be- 
midji, Lake Winnibigoshish, Hibbing, Vermillion Lake, Duluth, and 
St. Anthony Park. Since we have previously taken it in Iowa, it 
doubtless also occurs in the southern part of the State. 
Melanoplus blatchleyi Scudd. 
Melanoplus blatchleyi is the largest of our brachypterous forms 
and is of rather more than medium size. The general coloration is 
grayish brown above, shading to clay or yellowish below. Postocular 
bar usually present and distinct, though narrow in males, and fre- 
quently obscure or wanting in females. The pronotum is dark, though 
variably so; tegmina abbreviate, being a little longer than the pro- 
notum, more or less overlapping, sublanceolate in form and sometimes 
obscurely maculate. Hind femora testaceous, usually heavily and 
broadly fasciate with dark bars, often, especially in females, marked 
with two or three light spots near the base; hind tibiae red, more or 
less blackish at base, followed by an indistinct, pale annulus. On July 
29, at Fort Dodge, Iowa, we observed a female of this species drilling 
in a piece of dead wood in very much the same way as Chloealtis con- 
spersa. At our approach she became alarmed and, attempting to 
escape, was secured as a specimen. Upon examination of the stick, 
it was found that there were two fresh holes drilled within a space 
of three inches. One of these was 8 mm. and the other 15 mm. deep. 
It would appear from this that some of our sylvan Melanopli may 
