22 



well defined forms, the one receiving the name hivittatus and the other 

 going by that of femoratus, tlie latter occurring only northward. 



Melcmoplus dijferenUaUfi, TLiomas, the Differential Locust. — Next to the 

 species just mentioned we frequently hud a second s[)ecies of our large 

 native locusts appearing in destructive numbers. This latter species 

 occurs in tbe Western and Middle States only, and is here very often 

 known to become unduly numerous and destructive to both the field 

 and the garden crops. It has been reported at different times to hav^e 

 been present in such numbers in portions of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, 

 Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska. A melauic or black form is quite fre- 

 quent in portions of Nebraska and Kansas ; but otherwise it is qnite 

 permanent in its character. 



Melanopluspondemsus, Scudd., the Ponderous Locust. — An insect very 

 closely related to the preceding is that known to the entomologist by 

 the abov^e name. It is a native of several of our Southern States, and 

 has on several occasions been a depredator of crops in portions of cen- 

 tral Texas. As the name would imply, it is of robust form, and has a 

 somewhat similar appearance to differ entiaUs. 



Melanoplus femurrubrum, De G-., the Red-thighed Locust.— Last on 

 the list of destructive locusts for North America north of Mexico, is 

 herewith presented the one that perhaps enjoys the greatest geograph- 

 ical range of all of our species. It is the common locust in all parts of 

 the country'from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Arctic circle 

 to Central America. Its devastations, while perhaps not as vast as 

 some of the i)rece<ling, have been more frequent and have occurred at 

 more localities than those of any other one. Like the hivittatus, differ- 

 entialis, and several of our non -destructive species, femur-ruhrum is a 

 frequenter of rather low places and rank vegetation. 



After giving these brief notes on the various species of locusts that 

 have been known in the past to have been connected with the injuries 

 from this class of insects within the country, it will not come amiss for 

 me to say a few words about the subject for the present year, and to 

 give my opinion as to the probable outlook for the coming year. 

 Briefly, then, let me say that there have been received reports of locust 

 injury from the following States: Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, New 

 Mexico, Arizona, California, Idaho, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, North 

 Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and New York. 

 In fact, there have been more separate reports received the present 

 year than ever heretofore from this cause. 



Now a word or two as to the different species of these destructive 

 locusts that are responsible for the injuries of the present year. In 

 California the devastator is present ; the Gamnula pellucida is known to 

 be unduly common in Idaho, Minnesota, North Dakota, and parts of 

 the Rocky Mountain region ; the Rocky Mountain or Migratory locust 

 is the one that is responsible for much of the injury that has been re- 

 ported from the Red River Valley of Minnesota and North Dakota as 



