870 



THE NATURE BOOK 



(Lociista viridissima). The only brown 

 Long-horned species at all common in 

 this country is the Bush-cheep {Tham- 

 notrizon cincreiis). 



Short-horned Grasshoppers seldom give 

 one the impression of being green all 

 over, and a close inspection usually shows 

 that their colour is composite in origin, 

 and that it depends partly on the develop- 

 ment of their wings, and partly on in- 

 di\'idual variation. As an aid towards 

 the distinction of species the colour of 

 Short-horned Grasshoppers is therefore of 

 httle importance, tln)ugh it may perhaps 

 be mentioned that S. viridulus has a 

 greater tendency than any other common 

 species to being a delicate rose-pink. 



The differences between Long-horned 

 and Short-horned Grasshoppers are not 

 confined to external structure, but extend 

 to habits which would seem to be, in a 

 sense, independent of structure. The 

 epithets " Long-horned " and " Short- 

 horned," of course, have reference to the 

 antennae, which, when perfect, are con- 

 siderably longer than the body in the 

 adult Long-horn, and in the immature 

 so much longer that one wonders at the 

 ability of the little creature to control 

 them. The numerous segments of which 

 these antcnnai are composed can be 

 distinguished with a pocket lens, and in 

 certain species, M. varium and L. punda- 

 tissima, for example, they are beaded 



at every sixth or seventh joint. The 

 antennae of our Short-horned Grass- 

 hoppers, which are always shorter than 

 the body and never have more than 

 twenty-five to thirty joints, are important 

 as affording a generic distinction. In 

 most British districts the "myriad cricket 

 of the mead " is a Short-horned Grass- 

 hopper, whose thread-like antennas vary 

 \'ery slightly in thickness from the base 

 to the tip. This regularity in thickness 

 stamps their owner at once as belonging 

 to the genus Stenohothriis. It is probable 

 that he will be either S. viridulus, who, 

 as has been mentioned, is often pink, or 

 S. hicolor, who is often the same colour 

 all over. Should, however, a Grasshopper 

 be taken whose antennas are clubbed at 

 the tips, he must be referred to one of the 

 three species of Gomphocerus, and he is 

 most likely to be G. maculatus, a small, 

 spotty, greenish Grasshopper who is not 

 uncommon. It needs sharp sight to 

 distinguish the number of tarsal joints 

 on a Grasshopper's foot, but it is dis- 

 tinctive of Short -horned Grasshoppers 

 that these should be three in number/ 

 whereas in Long-horned Grasshoppers the^ 

 are four. 



To distinguish between the sexes of 

 Short -horned (jrasshoppers needs a very 

 careful examination and some knowledge 

 of insect anatomy. The mature female 

 Long-horn, however, is distinguished at 



THE GKliAT GKLLN GKASSIIOPPER (L. VIRIDISSIMA) IN VEbTlGATlNG A 



SHORT-HORN (STEXODOTHRrS). 



The relative size of the two species can be well seen. 



