498 



its sluggish habits. It was very voracious, aud was very destructive 

 iu the young- orange-groves by devouring the leaves. The insects also 

 destroy many garden- vegetables and plants, though they were not espe- 

 cially destructive to them at that time aud place, but appeared to be 

 more injurious to the foliage of the orange-tree. They crawl slowly 

 over the ground or upon shrubs, and are so nauseating that even fowls 

 reject them as food. The eggs are probably deposited in the earth ; the 

 young larviie are strii)ed like the mature insects, but are perfectly wing- 

 less; they are of a black color, beautifully striped and banded with 

 orange or red, the pupa? also are black, shaded, and bearded on the 

 thorax with yellow or orange red, and the abdomen is banded, and the 

 hind thighs bordered with the same color. The insect, when fully grown, 

 is from 2 to 2.50 inches in length, and is of a yellow or orange color, 

 barred and spotted with black. 



Fi"-. 19. 



The wing-cases are extremely short, reaching only half way to the 

 extremity of the abdomen, and are totally useless to the insect for the 

 purpose of flight. These wing-covers are yellowish, shaded with rosy- 

 pink, and are barred and spotted with blackl The insects are extremely 

 voracious, and from their large size are able to consume an immense 

 quau'tity of food, and no doubt, if found iu great numbers, would do 

 immense injury in market-gardens, but as they never fly, merely creep- 

 ing or jumping heavily, they can be readily destroyed by catching in a 

 net, or by crushing with the foot, in every stage of their existence. It 

 would, however, be well to destroy them when very young, as if allowed 

 to grow they will consume as much as half a dozen comuion grasshop- 

 I)ers {Galoptenus) at one meal. 



