141 



Jiotli those grasshoppers are hrowri, with a central pale stripe, usually 

 conspicuous the whole length of the back, but americana is larger and 

 darken brown, with f)ale stripings on the head and thorax, and the 

 wings heavily siK)tted with dark brown on a nearly transparent ground. 

 Alutacea (Fig. 129) is a nc^arly luiifonn red-brown throughout, except 

 for the cfsntral stripe. 



Irijiuy is d(jn(! to corn by eating 

 th(! k'uvos, and to some extent 

 also th(! husks and silk, and even 

 the kernels at the tip of the ear. In 

 1884, americana was occasionally 

 found in southern Illinois doing 

 considerable damage to corn in the 

 bonkers of the fields, sometimes com- 

 pletely stripping the stalks of leaves; 

 and alutacea was also found by us 

 in corn in Clinton county, feeding 

 on the leaves, but not seriously in- 

 jurious. In 1876 very considerable 

 damage was done by *S'. americana 

 in this sanu; region; but its most 

 destructive recorded outbreak was 

 in 1894 in a restricted district of 

 Virginia. Within this infested area 

 corn was almost (;ntir(;ly stripfXMl of 

 its leaves, the older plants, curiously 

 (iiiough, b(;ing apjiarently preferred to the younger. The silks and 

 husks were in some instances eaten away, and the ears thus exposed 

 wen; attacked by molds. The loss of fodder here was estimated at 

 from a third to half a crop. Fields of oats and clover were also de- 

 stroyed, and fruit trees were defoliated and seriously injured, even the 

 twigs and fruit being more or less gnawed. Where the grasshoppers, 

 were not very numerous their injury to corn was principally limitcfl 

 to the outer rows adjoining clover and grain. 



The life history of Srfidstocerca americana has sonx; unusual features. 

 Tli(3 insect hibernat(;s as an adult, pairs in spring, and lays its eggs in 

 May. The places of appearance of the newly hatched young in the 

 Virginia outbreak clearly showed that the eggs were hatched in grass 

 and clover fields and not in the corn. Winged individuals begin to appear 

 early in August, but do not become abundant until late in that month 

 and in September, limnature specimens have been found as late as 

 Octtober 15 to 21. The life history of alutacea is not definitely known, 

 but it is probably similar to that of the other species. 



During the Virginia outbreak a migration of americana was observed 



Fig. 129. Schintocerax alutacea. 

 size. (Lugi;er.) 



Natural 



