THIRTIETH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 9 



the hatch progressed rapidly and damage to grain in the vicinity 

 of St. Xavier was observed May 16. By May 20, however, with the 

 exception of the western counties and the northern parts of Toole 

 and Glacier counties, the drouth was broken. In central and 

 eastern Montana rain and cool weather continued throughout June 

 with many counties reporting the wettest June on record. Condi- 

 tions continued dry in Toole, Glacier, and western counties. The 

 heavy rainfall caused considerable nymphal mortality in some 

 counties while in others it apparently had little affect. 



First adults were reported from Chouteau County the week of 

 June 18. The cool, wet weather of June produced a situation very 

 similar to 1943 with many late hatches reported and grasshoppers 

 in all stages of development being found in the same area. 



Y.'/.'A LIGHT Y///A THREATENING 



5222 BASED UPON REPORTS a SPRING SURVEYS 



Figure 2. Grasshopper egg beds, 1944. 



The most severe infestations developed in Big Horn County, 

 the Triangle area, and the western counties. Predicted severe in- 

 festations failed to materialize in McCone County, while in Hill 

 County infestations greater than expected developed. Unseason- 

 able rains and predation could account for the McCone County si- 

 tuation and drouth conditions in the fall of 1943 may have influ- 

 enced egg depositions to such an extent in Hill County that major 

 egg beds were missed during the survey. 



The dominant species over the State was M. mexicanus. In the 

 Triangle area M. bivittatus was a dominant species and ranked 

 second over the State. In eastern Montana M. differentialis, a spe- 



