﻿K0.1124. 
  liEVISIOX 
  OF 
  THE 
  MELAXOPIJ—SCrDDEn. 
  \(\^ 
  

  

  G. 
  SPRETUS 
  SERIES. 
  

  

  This 
  uroiip 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  homogeneous 
  one 
  and 
  comprises 
  the 
  species 
  of 
  

   Mehmophis 
  which 
  are 
  especially 
  destructive 
  to 
  vegetation 
  by 
  tbeir 
  

   immense 
  numbers 
  and 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  extended 
  flights, 
  such 
  destructive- 
  

   ness 
  being- 
  almost 
  confined 
  to 
  its 
  members. 
  The 
  pronotum 
  of 
  the 
  male 
  

   is 
  transverse 
  or 
  quadrate 
  or 
  feebly 
  longitudinal, 
  and 
  the 
  interspace 
  

   l)etween 
  the 
  mesosternal 
  lobes 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  sex 
  varies 
  from 
  a 
  little 
  

   longer 
  than 
  broad 
  to 
  fully 
  twice 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  broad, 
  the 
  mesosternum 
  in 
  

   front 
  of 
  the 
  lobes 
  centrally 
  elevated 
  to 
  form 
  a 
  very 
  low 
  and 
  blunt 
  

   conical 
  tubercle 
  or 
  boss. 
  The 
  teginina 
  are 
  always 
  fully 
  developed, 
  

   usually 
  much 
  surpassing 
  the 
  tips 
  of 
  the 
  hind 
  femora 
  (though 
  in 
  one 
  

   case 
  not 
  nearly 
  reaching 
  them), 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  maculate 
  (only 
  immaculate 
  

   by 
  individual 
  exception), 
  and 
  the 
  hind 
  tibiae 
  are 
  variably 
  colored, 
  but 
  

   either 
  red 
  or 
  green 
  (very 
  rarely 
  blue 
  or 
  yellow), 
  and 
  have 
  nine 
  to 
  

   thirteen 
  spines 
  in 
  the 
  outer 
  series. 
  

  

  The 
  supraanal 
  plate 
  of 
  the 
  male 
  is 
  subtriangular, 
  rather 
  long, 
  with 
  

   straight 
  or 
  sinuous 
  lateral 
  margins; 
  the 
  furcula 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  

   slender, 
  tapering, 
  parallel 
  or 
  divergent, 
  generally 
  feebly 
  depressed 
  

   fingers, 
  generally 
  extending 
  over 
  the 
  basal 
  fourth 
  of 
  the 
  supraanal 
  

   plate; 
  the 
  cerci 
  are 
  rather 
  broad 
  and 
  nearly 
  straight 
  and 
  nearly 
  flat 
  

   lamellae, 
  the 
  apical 
  half 
  narrower 
  than 
  the 
  basal, 
  generally 
  through 
  

   oblique 
  excision 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  margin, 
  and 
  usually 
  bent 
  upward 
  a 
  little, 
  

   rounded 
  or 
  subtruncate 
  at 
  tip 
  and 
  from 
  one 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  to 
  three 
  times 
  

   as 
  long 
  as 
  broad; 
  the 
  subgenital 
  plate 
  is 
  haustrate, 
  about 
  as 
  broad 
  as 
  

   long, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  elevated 
  apically 
  and 
  has 
  the 
  apical 
  margin 
  mesially 
  

   notched. 
  

  

  The 
  species, 
  seven 
  in 
  number, 
  are 
  of 
  a 
  medium 
  or 
  moderately 
  large 
  

   size 
  and 
  range 
  widely 
  (especially 
  M. 
  atlanis, 
  the 
  range 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  

   almost 
  or 
  quite 
  equal 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  group), 
  occurring 
  in 
  every 
  part 
  of 
  

   the 
  United 
  States, 
  from 
  Atlantic 
  to 
  Pacific, 
  excepting 
  most 
  of 
  California 
  

   and 
  the 
  southernmost 
  of 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  States; 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  group 
  

   occur 
  also, 
  but 
  apparently 
  in 
  scanty 
  numbers, 
  as 
  far 
  beyond 
  our 
  southern 
  

   borders 
  as 
  Central 
  Mexico, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  north, 
  in 
  full 
  abundance, 
  in 
  

   Canada 
  from 
  ocean 
  to 
  ocean; 
  but 
  this 
  group 
  apparently 
  does 
  not 
  

   extend 
  so 
  far 
  north 
  as 
  the 
  femur-rubrum 
  series, 
  for 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  known 
  

   from 
  J»I^ewfoundland 
  or 
  Labrador, 
  nor 
  about 
  Hudson 
  Bay, 
  though 
  in 
  

   the 
  west 
  it 
  reaches 
  the 
  Arctic 
  Circle, 
  two 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  occurring 
  in 
  

   Alaska. 
  

  

  21. 
  MELANOPLUS 
  ALASKANUS, 
  new 
  species. 
  

   (Plate 
  XII, 
  fig. 
  1.) 
  

  

  Slightly 
  above 
  the 
  medium 
  size, 
  ferrugiueo-fuscous 
  with 
  testaceous 
  

   markings. 
  Head 
  pale 
  castaneous, 
  heavily 
  marked 
  above, 
  at 
  least 
  in 
  

   the 
  male, 
  with 
  black, 
  especially 
  along 
  the 
  margins 
  of 
  the 
  eyes 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  

   median 
  stripe, 
  besides 
  a 
  broad 
  postocular 
  band 
  ; 
  vertex 
  gently 
  tumid, 
  

  

  