50 NEW NORTH AMERICAN ACRIDID^ BRUNER. 



median carina tectiform, cristate, strongly quadrilobed ; posterior lateral 

 edges oblique, the lower angle rounded. Tegmina and wings somewhat 

 abbreviated, the axillary field in the latter very large, especially in the 

 males, where it occupies fully one-third of the entire area. Posterior 

 femora moderately robust, with the upper and lower carinas but little 

 elevated; posterior tibiae gently tortuous ; the spines few, stout, and those 

 on the inner edge nearly twice the length of those outside and curved ; 

 tarsi of anterior pair of legs very short; pulvilli between claws very 

 minute, almost obsolete. Abdomen strongly compressed, tectiformly 

 carinate, tapering rapidly near its apex ; the last ventral segment of 

 male conical; the supra anal plate triquetrous, the upper edge narrowly 

 but quite deeply sulcate. Prosterual spine quite large, pyramidal, the 

 front edge flat, the hind edge rounded. 



As indicated from the above description and by reference to the fig- 

 ure of D. monstrosus, it will at once be seen that the insects compris- 

 ing the genus Dracotettix form a very distinctly marked group among 

 the Acridiaus of the world. Like most all of the other large robust forms 

 of the family, these locusts are also inhabitants of semi-desert, of desert- 

 like regions, for the rigors of which they are eminently fitted. 



Their dull color is protective, their shield like pronotum and leathery 

 tegument a safety against the attacks of lizards and other reptiles," 

 while their rugosity is in unison with their surroundings. Being deni- 

 zens of a rough country their general "make-up" partakes of a like 

 rough nature. Like some of the reptile forms that frequent these re- 

 gions these locusts also bear a very striking resemblance to the pictured 

 dragons of mythological lore, hence the name "dragon locust." 



Dracotettix monstrosus sp. uov. [PI. I, Fig. 1.] 



Dull, dirty white, gray and brown, with a few flecks of black along 

 the carinse of face, pronotum, and posterior femoi a; the latter black 

 inside; posterior tibia* and tarsi red inside, gray outside. Antenna-, 

 reaching only to last trausverse sulcus of pronotum. 



Vertex between the eyes about as broad as their longest diameter 

 ( $ ) or fully twice as broad as their shortest diameter ( $ ), horizontal, 

 gently tapering anteriorly, the fastigium broadly rounded, the median 

 carina rather blunt but distinctly visible throughout, the lateral walls 

 converging posteriorly to the hind edge of the eyes, where they sud- 

 denly approach nearly to the median carina; occiput furnished with 

 two supplementary carina; or rugosities, commencing at the upper pos- 

 terior edges of the eyes and reaching backwards and inward until they 

 are lost from view beneath the front edge of the pronotum. Face in 

 front and on cheeks rugose. Pronotum large ; the surface tuberculate, 

 granulate; the crest or median carina tectiform, high; the last traus- 

 verse sulcus a little in advance of the middle, the anterior portion tri- 

 lobed, the three lobes together arched, the front one nearly or quite as 

 long as the other two ; the crest on the posterior lobe a little lower and 



