4 BULLETIN 293, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



In 1913. from May 4 to June 24, nymphal droves of this species 

 traveled in a northeasterly direction some 15 to 18 miles, ravaging 

 the entire growth of prairie grasses in their path. 



The species is gregarious, the early maturing adults remaining 

 with the nymphal droves until the majority have attained the fully- 

 winged state. 



The adults are readily attracted to lights, having been taken at 

 Clovis, X. Mex., during June, 1913, about 25 miles north of Elida, 

 where the main nymphal droves were located at the time. 



In the winged state these insects are very wary and are excep- 

 tionally strong fliers. 



ORIGIN OF OUTBREAK. 



This outbreak originated from a tremendous swarm of adults flying 

 from some unknown point to the north. These settled in the outly- 

 ing districts of Elida, X. Mex., during the latter part of August and 

 early September. During one evening, when swarms of this species 

 were passing over Elida, large numbers of them flew against the 

 plate-glass window of a brilliantly lighted barber shop. The follow- 

 ing morning several bushels of dead grasshoppers were heaped on 

 the sidewalk. 



BREEDING GROUNDS. 



The breeding grounds on which these swarms settled to deposit 

 their eggs were in most part in a chain of sandhills running from 

 about 8 to 10 miles northwest to southwest of Elida. Another con- 

 siderable swarm settled and deposited eggs in the sandhills 64 miles 

 southeast of Elida. 



On May 4, 1913, at a point 8 miles northwest of Elida, Mr. B. W. 

 Kinsolving noted the tiny grasshoppers coming out of the sand " by 

 the million." Watching this area for a little over a week Mr. Kin- 

 solving says : " Tiny hoppers appeared to be coming out of the sand 

 continually. One evening during a heavy shower certain areas of this 

 breeding ground were covered at least 6 inches deep with tiny hop- 

 pers." 



On May 6, 1913, (H miles southeast of Elida. Mr. Bruce Marsh 

 noted the tiny grasshoppers issuing from the sand in an area nearly 

 1 mile square, "the ground over this area appearing like a living 

 mass of crawling maggots." 



At about the same time the cowboys on the Littlefield ranch, 8| 

 miles southwest of Elida, noted the sand moving up and down over 

 a great area. When examined they found "countless millions of 

 tiny hoppers crawling to the surface." 



