ORTHOPTERA OF NOVA SCOTIA. PIERS. 303 



19. Melanoplus bivittatus(Say). Yellow-striped Locust. 

 (Red-legged phase, sometimes called ^f. bivittatus 

 fevwratus (Burmeister)). 



Caloptenus bivittatus. F. Walker, Cat. Derm. Salt. 



Brit. Mus., iv, 678 (1870); Nova Scotia, etc.— Do., 



Can. Ent., iv, 30 (1872); Nova Scotia, etc. 

 Melanoplus femoratus. Piers, Trans. N. S. Inst. Sc, 



ix, 218 (1896); Halifax Co. 

 Melanoplus bivittatus Gooderham, Proc. Ent. Soc. 



N. S. for 1916, 24, 27 (1917); Col., Kings, Hants 

 Ann., Yar. Queens, Vict., and Inver. Cos. 



Description. — Our largest species of Melanoplus. Wing-covers reaching 

 or a little surpassing the hind femora, sometimes a little shorter in female. 

 Cerci of male large, wide, with the apical half much expanded, but not forked, 

 somewhat boot-shaped with wide "toe" and a distinct, but somewhat small, 

 protuberant '"heel"; furcula short, swollen, triangular. 



Colour. — Nova Scotian specimens (red-legged phase). The very dis- 

 tinctive colouring of this famihar locust makes it impossible to confuse it 

 with any other species found here. General colour above bright apple-green 

 (but occasionally graj-ish olive-green); under parts j-ellowish. Antenna 

 reddish-browTi ; mouth straw-yellow (occasionally pale clay-colour); eyes 

 brown. A very distinct sulphur-yellow (occasionally paler Naples-yellow) line 

 extends on each side from upper part of eye along lateral angle of pronotum 

 and thence, as a less pure yellow (maize-yellow or buff) line, along the anal 

 vein of the wing-cover to near the latter's extremity; this stripe bordered 

 below by a wider, almost black band on head behind eye and on upper side 

 of pronotum, being widest on front part of latter. A diagonal sulphur-yellow 

 stripe on side of metathorax from insertion of wing-cover to insertion of 

 hind leg. Wing-covers hair-brown, sometimes blacker; hind-wings trans- 

 parent with veins mostly brownish. Hind femora greenish-black on upper 

 half of outer face, extending to knee where it is darkest; outer face margined 

 with j-ellow (occasionally pale buff); upper inner margin with three black 

 spots or short bars; a black ring near knee. Hind tibiae poppy-red or nopal- 

 red (intermediate between vermilion and carmine), dusky at base; spines black: 

 hind feet red. (In the ex-tralimital colour variant, M. h. bivittatus of Say, 

 the hind tibiae are purplish or green basally, and yellow, very rarely reddish, 

 apically). — Colour from 3 males and .3 females, just captured among meadow- 

 sweet {Spircea latifolia) and grass, near Willow Park, Halifax, N. S., 17 Aug., 

 1895. Only one of these, a female, taken with the others, showed the more 

 olivaceous and less striking colours noted above as occasionally occurring. 

 AJl had bright red hind tibiae. 



Measurements. — Three males and three females, Halifax, 17 Aug., 1895. 

 Male: bodj', 26.5-28 (average 27) mm.; antennae, 13 mm.; wing-covers, 18.5- 

 21.2 (average 19.4) mm.; wing-covers extend beyond bod}', 0-2.5 (average 

 1.2) mm.; hind femora, 14-15.2 (average 14.5) mm.; hind tibiae, 11.5 mm. 

 Female: body, 31-35 (average 33) mm.; antennae, 11.5 mm.; wing-covers, 19.7- 

 21.5 (average 20.7) mm.; wing-covers short of end of body, .7-5.5 (average 3) 

 mm.; hind femora, 15.2-18.7 (average 17) mm.; hind tibiae, 13-15 (average 



