ORTHOPTERA OF NOVA SCOTIA. PIERS. 291 



Description. — Prosternal spine tapering, tip pointed; wing-covers much 

 longer than abdomen (extending one-fourth or more beyond its tip), and 

 surpassing also tlie hind femora (and thus relatively longer than in M. femur- 

 rubrum); apex of nub-genital plate of male uyith a difitinct, but srnall, median 

 notch; male cerci short and nearly equally broad throughout, rounded at ends, 

 their length not more than tivice the middle breadth (i. e. cerci not tapering as 

 in M. femur-rubrum) . These characters make it possible to readily separate 

 the males of this species from those of M. femur-rubrum, which otherwise it 

 very closely resembles. Females of the two species are very much more 

 difficult to separate, but the tapering pointed-tipped prosternal spine of the 

 present species will distinguish it from femur-rubrum, which has a cylindrical 

 prosternal spine with a rounded tip. 



Colour. — Much resembles M. femur-rubrum. Nova Scotian specimens: 

 Variable; upper parts dark grayish brown (sohietimes slightly reddish), 

 under surface of abdomen yellowish; face light sage-green; mouth whitish; 

 a blackish band extending behind the eye on the front lateral part of pronotum 

 and sometimes broken up into small spots, especially in females; wing-covers 

 grayish-brown, distinctly sprinkled with fuscous along the median area; bind 

 femora dirtj' yellowish-brown or slightly reddish-yellow, with two obUque 

 blackish bars across the upper and outer faces (these bars usually more distinct 

 than in M. femur-rubrum) ; hind tibiae dull burnt-carmine. (It will be seen 

 that colour alone will not much assist the beginner in differentiating it from 

 M. femur-rubrum, and the difference in the sti'uctural characters given above 

 should be solely relied upon.) 



Measurements. — Male: body, 17-21 mm.; antennae, 6.5-9 mm.; pronotum, 

 4-5 mm.; wing-covers, 15-21 mm.; hind femora, 10-13 mm.; hind tibiae, 8-9 

 mm. Nova Scotian male, 18 Oct., 1917: body, 18 mm.; antennae, 6.5 mm.; 

 pronotum, 4.1 mm.; wing-covers, 16 mm.; hind femora, 10.2 mm.; hind 

 tibiae, 8 mm. Female: body, 16-27 mm.; antennae, 7-8 mm.; pronotum, 5.5 

 mm.; wing-covers, 15-22 mm.; hind femora, 10-14 mm. (The relativelv 

 longer wings of this species will be noticed in comparison with M. femur- 

 rubrum.) 



Range. — Most of Canada and United States, into central Mexico: 

 from Sable Island (N. S.), Nova Scotia, P. E. Island, New Bruns., Magdalen 

 Islds., Que., Ont., Man., Alb., Br. Col., and Alaska (Yukon River), south to 

 Georg., Louisiana, central Mex., Ariz., Nev., and Northern Calif. In the 

 east it occurs north to about lat. 50° (exclusive of Nfid.), and on the Pacific 

 to about lat. 62°. It thus is found from the Canadian to the upper parts 

 of the Lower Austral Zone — a range closely approximating to that of M. femur- 

 rubrum. It is abundant everywhere in New Eng. and is sometimes destructive 

 there. Has not been found in Newfoundland. 



Occurrence in Nova Scotia.- — This species was not sep- 

 arated from M. femur-rubrum by Riley until 1875, so that 

 any record prior to that may refer to either species. It was 

 first reported from Nova Scotia by Dr. Scudder in 1894 

 (Kept. Ent. Soc. Ont., 26, p. 64). 



This destructive species is apparently rather uncommon 

 about Halifax, being generally very much less numerous 

 than the closely-related M. femur-rubrum; whereas in some 

 other parts of the province, as about Truro, it is very abund- 



