Insects, etc.. Injurious to the Peach. 325 



THE CLIMBING LOCUST. 



[Lcptopltycfi pi'-ncfatissimK. Jjosc.) 



These locusts have been recorded from Minster (1) where they 

 were taken in numbers on peach trees and doing nnich harm. Tlie 

 Lociistidcv or true locusts are distinguished from the grasshoppers or 

 Acrididce by their long antenme, by the position of the " stridulating " 

 organ, and by the long ovipositor. From the crickets or (1 i-jillufa', 

 they can be told by their four-jointed tarsi, the crickets having cither 

 two- or three-jointed feet. 



This green locust has the wings rudimentary, and may Ije found 

 in the autumn crawling up various trees and shrubs. It was noticed 

 that many were /// cojiii/d on the peach trees at Minster. 



This species may be identified by the following characters : — 

 Colour, yellowish-green, covered with numerous black dots and a 

 few dusky markings ; the pronotuni has two lateral pale Ijrown 

 streaks on the disc, bordered externally by bright yellow streaks, and 

 also on tlie anterior margin. The elytra are as long as the pronotum 

 in the male, but are much shorter in the female. Wings abortive. 

 TJie ovipositor of the female broad, composed of four sickle-shaped 

 pieces, the two lower being much broader than the upper, com- 

 pressed and crenulated. The green antenna' are very long, with a 

 few dark brown rings. The females are larger than the males ; 

 the former being 18 mm., and the latter 14 mm. in length. Piinrtatis- 

 dma appears from July omvards until October, tbe majority occurring 

 in August and September. The young larva^ arc much paler than the 

 adults, and grow gradually into the mature form. The imago really 

 remains in the pupal stage, no true winged form occurring. At least 

 six moults seem to take place during growth. It is a fairly common 

 insect in this country, especially in the south-east. I have also 

 seen it in numbers in Huntingdonshire and North Wales, and it 

 occurs now and again in plenty on brambles and plum trees as well 

 as wall peaches at AVye. Shaw (2) records it from Hastings, Plum- 

 stead, Heme Bay, Bromley, Polegate, Wimbledon, Dartford and 

 Combe Martin. It is also said to be common at Penmaenmawr. 

 In some parts of Wales I have seen numbers crawling about brambles 

 growing in hedges. Its European distribution is also wide, the 

 following districts being recorded by AVattenwyl (3) : Paris, Fon- 

 tainebleau, Belgium, Brabant, Spa, Zealand, Bornholm, Kissengen, 

 Yoltaggio, Zurich and Schonen. It does not appear to be found 

 in North Germany nor in Austria. 



These locusts only appear now and again in sufficient nundjers 



