NO. 1124. REVISION OF THE MELAXOPLI SCU1WER. 353 



(Smith); Posey and Gibson counties, Indiana (Webster); western Ken- 

 tucky (Garrnan); Mercer County, Illinois (Thomas); Iroquois County, 

 Illinois (Kiley); Jackson County, Illinois (Thomas); western Iowa 

 (Bruner); Buchanan and Nodaway counties, Missouri (Osborn); Shaw- 

 nee, Labette, and Barber counties, Kansas (Bruner); Hamilton County, 

 Kansas (Bruner, Kellogg); Indian Territory (Bruner); Brown and 

 "Washington counties, Texas (Kiley); Grand Junction, Mesa County, 

 Colorado (Bruner) ; Lincoln County, Nevada (Eiley) ; Arizona (Bruner); 

 and San Joaquin Valley, California (Coquillett). 



It appears from this that it inhabits the Mississippi Valley from as 

 far north as latitude 43 to the Gulf, and the region to the west as far 

 as the Pacific, from a somewhat lower latitude to central Mexico. I 

 do not think it occurs above 6,000 feet. One can not but question the 

 accuracy of the statement that it occurs in New Jersey, 1 as it has never 

 been reported elsewhere east of the Alleghanies, and if found there 

 would also occur farther south; so large an insect and so distinc from 

 others found there would hardly have escaped notice by entomologists 

 of the eastern seaboard in Maryland and Virginia. 



The oviposition and arrangement of eggs in the egg-capsule of this 

 insect, as well as its parasites, are described by Eiley in the first Report 

 of the United States Entomological Commission, and with its life-his- 

 tory are later summarized by him, as follows : 



In the vicinity of St. Louis, Missouri, the tirst specimens of this locust were 

 observed to become winged July 19. Eggs were laid September 9. As a deviation 

 from the usual egg-laying habits of the genus . . . the eggs are sometimes very 

 numerously placed under bark of logs that have been felled on low lands. The eggs 

 of this species, unlike those of spretus, atlanis and fcmur-rnbrum, are not quadri- 

 linearly but irregularly arranged. . . . The head ends of the eggs in the pod point 

 mostly outward. One hundred and seventy-live eggs have been counted in a single 



lllilSS. 



Mr. Coquillett has made some interesting observations [in California]. . . . They 

 acquired wings from the last week in June to the last week in July and began lay- 

 ing eggs July 23. A single female occupied 75 minutes in depositing an egg-mass. 

 The situation chosen for egg laying was invariably the edge of one of the basin-like 

 hollows [for irrigation?] at the foot of a tree. This locust is not easily startled, 

 and its ordinary flight is rather heavy, and sustained only for a distance of 12 to 20 

 feet. 



According to Thomas and Kiley, this insect, is occasionally seen fly- 

 ing at considerable heights and apparently migrating, though these are 

 rare occurrences. It certainly is occasionally one of the most destruc- 

 tive pests in the West, particularly in Kansas, Missouri and Illinois, 

 and it has been noted as injuring grass, alfalfa, Indian corn, beets, 

 orchard trees, mulberry, poplar and catalpa trees, and even grape 

 vines; also dahlias, hollyhocks and other garden flowers have been 

 specified as its food, not to mention the rag weed, Ambrosia trifida. 



'Since this was sent to the printer I have seen specimens from Camden County, 

 New Jersey, in the collection of the American Entomological Society. 



Proc. N. M. vol. xx 23 



