XIII 



LOCUSTIDAE 



327 



of its hind legs. A second species, D. thoracica, lives in decayed 

 wood, and a third, D. megacephala, is remarkable from the very 

 large size of the head and mandibles in the male sex. The fact 

 that a clicking noise is produced by the Weta-punga is of some 

 interest, for the genus Deinacrida is among the Locustidae that 

 possess ears, but are said to be destitute of sound-producing organs. 

 Amongst the most remarkable of the Locustidae are the two 

 species of which Brongniart has recently formed the genus 

 Uumegalodon and the tribe Eumegalodonidae, which is not included 

 in Brunner's table of the tribes of Locustidae. The ovipositor 



v-1^" 



Fig. 203. Lumegalodon hlanchardi, female. Borneo, x |. (After Brongniart.) 



is large and sabre-shaped ; the male is unknown. The genus 

 Megalodon is placed by Brunner in the tribe Conocephalides ; it 

 also consists of extremely remarkable Insects. 



The Locustidae appear to be of slow growth, and the autumns 

 of Britain are usually not warm enough for them. Hence we 

 have but nine British species, and of this number only three or 

 four are known to occur north of the Thames. The only one 

 that attracts attention is Locustcc viridissima, which in some 

 districts of the south of England occurs in considerable numbers, 

 and attests its presence by its peculiar music. It is called the 

 green grasshopper. 



