A HISTORY OF CORNWALL 



The migratory locust Pachytylus cinerascens is a casual wanderer to the county. Probably all 

 the records published under P. migratorius are referable to this species. In 1846 a number of 

 locusts belonging to one or both of these species appeared on the east coast of England, and a few 

 stragglers came as far west as Cornwall. In 1857 another wave appeared, and half a dozen at least 

 were taken in the county. In 1876 there were numerous English records, but no captures were 

 reported from the south-western counties at all. Back in the sixties two specimens were taken at 

 St. Mary's, Scilly, and one was captured on St. Agnes in 1897, which lately passed into the writer's 

 possession and is undoubtedly P. cinerascens. Examples of the ' migratory locust ' were obtained at 

 the Lizard in the early forties the description of which agrees well with the species, and in 1902 

 an unusually fine female of P. cinerascens was taken near Godolphin. 



A solitary specimen of Oedipoda coerulescens was captured by E. T. Price in the vicinity of 

 Hugh Town, St. Mary's, Scilly, in 1903. The bright blue of its wings had attracted the attention 

 of several of the islanders, who had already made one or two attempts to capture it before Price 

 secured it, and the specimen in consequence was somewhat damaged. 



The large North African locust, Scbistocerca peregrina, visited England in considerable numbers in 

 1869 and 1870. Bignell says that between 9 and 11 October, 1869, about thirty specimens were 

 taken in and around Plymouth. Three were taken in the autumn of that year at St. Germans, 

 and it was captured at Looe and at Falmouth, while two were taken near Hayle and at least four 

 in the neighbourhood of Newquay. In October of the following year another small flight of this 

 locust visited Cornwall, and several were taken at Falmouth and a number at the Lizard. About 

 that time large locusts were also taken at Bude. 



The variable little grasshopper Tettix bipunctatus is recorded by Bignell from Pill and Saltash, 

 and seems indeed to be fairly common throughout the county on warm dry slopes covered with 

 short grass and on dry, sheltered, sunny pastures. It is an early insect, but has been found in 

 Cornwall in mature condition in every month of the year. 



Tettix subulata, another very variable grasshopper, is also widely spread but apparently local, 

 and even in its favourite haunts about Newquay is much scarcer than the preceding species. 



LOCUSTIDAE 



Grasshoppers 



Leptophyes punctatissima is not uncommon near Boscastle in a broad, overgrown, bramble-covered 

 hedgebank, and is occasionally taken at sugar. Single examples have been taken at Budock, 

 Falmouth, and at Kea, Truro. 



A solitary specimen of the pretty Phaneroptera falcata from Central France was taken by 

 Mason at Porthgwarra near the Land's End in September, 1881. As McLachlan suggested, it had 

 probably found its way ashore from a passing vessel. 



Mectmema varium is not uncommon in the east of the county and frequently occurs as far west 

 as Bodmin. About Truro and Falmouth it is decidedly scarce, and has not been reported from the 

 Penzance district at all. 



Locusta viridissima is the largest of our indigenous Orthoptera, and is by no means uncommon 

 locally on rough herbage and among coarse-growing herbaceous weeds throughout the county. In 

 some seasons it is plentiful about Truro, Falmouth and Newquay, and in 1902 was unusually 

 common everywhere. 



Thamnotrizon cinereus is very local. It is at times fairly common about Falmouth, and in some 

 of the bramble-lanes and nettle-beds there its short, sharp chirp may often be heard far into the 

 night. In 1901 and 1902 it was common about Bishop's Wood, Truro, but is never seen or heard 

 there now. It is often plentiful up the valley of the Gannel, and has been reported from Looe. 



Platycleis grisea appears to be confined to a few favoured spots on the south coast. It occurs 

 near the Land's End, is occasionally taken on rest-harrow near Portscatho, and has been reported 

 from Mevagissey. Of the allied species P. brachypterus one example has been taken by Tellam 

 near Bodmin and one in the valley of Millook ; about thirty years ago several were taken at 

 Falmouth. Germonprez found a very young Platycleis larva at Par, which Burr refers doubtfully to 

 the somewhat northern species P. roesalii, of which scarcely half a dozen specimens have been found 

 in England. 



GRYLLODEA 



Crickets 



The wood cricket (Nemobius syhestris) has been recorded from Trevaylor, Penzance, but its 

 occurrence there is somewhat improbable and no specimen has been produced. 



The field cricket (Gryllus campestris) is described as Cornish by Stephens, but no recent 

 specimens have been found and it is probably extinct. 



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