362 NATURE SKETCHES IN TEMPERATE AMERICA 



At Cheltenham, south of Chicago, on August twelfth, I 

 found the sand locust associations about as follows: At the 

 sandy beach, where there were no grasses or other vegetation, 

 no Orthoptera whatever were found. Stretching backward from 

 the shore line two hundred feet, where the sand-binding grasses 

 and bunchgrass appeared, the maritime, mottled sand, and 

 CaroUna locusts lived in company. The latter were for the 

 most part colored like the sand. Still further away from the 

 shore, where there were ragweeds (Ambrosia), horseweed (Lep- 

 tilon), and grasses (Panicum), I found the long-horned, the 

 lesser, and the lurid Melanoplus, and the sand locust, Agene- 

 otettix arenosus. I also found the handsome short-homed locust, 

 Syrbula admirabilis, living on burr grass. As I went inland 

 the species changed correspondingly, but I will be content to 

 mention simply the sand-loving species met with at this time. 



The inner wings of the mottled sand locust are colored light 

 yellow at the base and a broad curved band occupies the centre 

 area, which is almost black; the apical portion of the wing is 

 transparent. The hind tibiae are coral-red or pink and some- 

 what pale at the base, while the spines have the extreme tips 

 black. The range of the mottled locust, as far as known at 

 present, extends from Wyoming on the west, through Nebraska, 

 Iowa, Indiana, and thence southward to North Carolina. The 

 scientific name of this species is Spharagemon wyomingianum. 



Boll's Locust 



In the chapter on the habitat of the Orthoptera I have 

 presented two landscape views. In the dry, sandy area shown 

 in the foreground in the second picture. Boll's locust was a 

 common frequenter. On warm, sunny days in the fall it was 

 often seen exercising its wings in flight. The males make a 

 rustling sound with their wings while hovering in one place in 

 mid-air. This performance is very similar to that displayed 

 by the Carolina locust. In the open woodlands and dry pastures, 

 or on the connecting borders where these two areas meet. Boll's 

 locust was found in the latter part of the summer and fall, but 

 it never occurred in great numbers. At times the mottled 

 sand locust is quite likely to be confused with Boll's locust. 



