212 GLEANINGS FROM NATURE. 



when present, is also similar in structure and position 

 to that of the cricket's, being an oblong or oval cav- 

 ity covered with a transparent or whitish membrane, 

 and situated on the front leg near the basal end of 

 the tibia. 



The young of the Locustidce, like those of the other 

 families of the order, when hatched from the egg 

 resemble the adults in form but are wholly wingless. 

 As they increase in size they moult or shed the skin 

 five times, the wings each time becoming more appar- 

 ent, until after the fifth moult, when they appear fully 

 developed, and the insect is mature or full grown, 

 never increasing in size thereafter. Throughout their 

 entire lives they are active, greedy feeders, mostly 

 herbivorous in habit ; and, where present in numbers, 

 necessarily do much harm to growing vegetation. 

 Thirty-nine species of the family are known to occur 

 in Indiana. 



Popularly speaking, we may divide the members 

 of the family into three groups, the katydids, green 

 grasshoppers and stone or camel crickets. Taking 

 these up in the order mentioned, we find that the 

 "katydids," nine species of which have, up to the 

 present, been recorded from the State, are the most 

 arboreal of all the Locustidce. The great majority of 

 them pass their entire lives on shrubs and trees, 

 where thev feed upon the leaves and 



rp v 



. tender twigs, and, when present in 



numbers, often do excessive injury. 



The color and form of their wings serve admirably to 



protect them against their worst foes, the birds; and 



as they live a solitary life, i. e., do not flock together 



