TWENTY-SEVENTH REPORT OF STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 21 



were, in order: shooting star (Dodocatheon conjugens), looseleaf 

 lupine (Lupinus laxijlora), mouse ear (Cerastium arvense), blue- 

 bell (Mertensia lanceolata) , yellowbell (Fritillaria pudica), pussy- 

 toes (Antennaria imbricata), larkspur (Delphinium bicolor), 

 littleleaf alumroot (Henchera parviflora), blue bunch wheatgrass 

 (Agropyron spicatum), and sedge (Carex douglasii). 



It may be noted that of the 10 plants showing greatest foliage 

 damage only 4 appear among the 10 showing greatest flower 

 and seed damage. Many of the plants heavily damaged early 

 in the season lived to produce flowers and seeds. Only one 

 species, Dodocatheon conjugens, showed more than 38 per cent 

 damage, this occurring early in the season before the crickets 

 had reached the seventh instar. It may be noted also that of 

 the first 10 plants most heavily damaged, only 2, Agropyron spic- 

 atum and Carex douglasii, are especially valuable as forage 

 plants, A. spicatum being especially valuable because of its high 

 palatability to all classes of livestock and its resistance to graz- 

 ing. As for some of the other injured plants, in regard to eco- 

 nomic value it may be said that Allium (onion) furnishes green 

 succulent herbage early in the spring, which is eaten readily 

 by cattle and sheep. Delphinium (larkspur) is palatable to most 

 stock but is known to be poisonous to cattle and is considered 

 objectional to a range. The fleshy leaves of Lewisia (bitterroot) 

 were fed upon quite extensively by crickets; in heavily infested 

 areas nearly every plant showed more or less damage. The 

 bitterroot has little or no forage value. Cerastium (mouse ear) 

 although heavily fed upon was scarce in this range and of little 

 importance Fritillaria (yellowbell) , Dodocatheon (shooting star) , 

 and Viola (violet) are short lived and have practically no forage 

 value. Mertensia (bluebell) has little forage value to most live- 

 stock but is highly palatable to sheep. Antennaria (pussytoes) 

 is slightly eaten by sheep but is almost worthless as forage. 



The most common forms of damage were for the crickets to 

 either eat on the leaves leaving the larger veins, which in the 

 grasses gave a shredded appearance, or to cut the flower stem 

 off causing the head to fall and then eat down the cut stems. 



