SB 

 818 

 C578 

 ENT 



Circular No. 84. issued April t;, 1907. 



United States Department of A,2^riculture, 



BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY, 

 L. O. HOWARD, Entomologist and Chief of Bureau. 



THE (GRASSHOPPER PROBLEM AND ALFALFA CULTURE. 



By F. M. Webster, 

 1)1, charyc of Cereal and Forai/c-PIaiit Insect I iivestUjations. 



SPECIES RESPONSIBLE FOR DEPREDATIONS. 



While specimens of the species of grasshoppers actually engaged in 

 devastating alfalfa fields have not always accompanied complaints 

 of their ravages, it is nevertheless possible, taking the data secured 

 by Government and State officials in connection with informa- 

 tion from correspondents, accompanied by specimens of the insects 

 actually committing these depredations, to fix the responsibility — 

 largely at leastT— upon two species. One of these is known as the 

 differential grasshopper {Melanoplus diferentialis Thos., fig. 1) and 

 the other as the two-striped grasshopper {Melanoplus hivittatus Say., 

 fig. 2). 



Other species of grasshoppers have probably at times been more or 

 less involved, as it is rarely that material submitted with a complaint 

 of damages does not include more than one species ; on the other hand, 

 species depredating on other crops on the same farm or ranch are 

 often submitted under the supposition that they are like those seen 

 at work in alfalfa. A notable case in point is that of the yellow- 

 winged or pellucid grasshopper {CaTnnula pellucida Scudd.), which, 

 while very destructive to grain and grass crops, is said to work but 

 little injury to alfalfa. However, as all grasshoppers likely to be- 

 come involved in this or similar depredations have much the same 

 habits and all are jorobably susceptible to the same treatment, the 

 question of species is not one to interest the farmer particularly, be- 

 yond the matter of his ability to determine for himself which one is 

 the Avorst pest and to apply his measures of suppression more espe- 

 cially with reference thereto. 

 25264— No. 84—07 m 



