ECOLOGY — INTERPRETATION OF ENVIRONMENT 395 



The Quaker Locust 



Few insects are better protected in their natural habitat than 

 the ground-inhabiting grasshoppers. Because of this incon- 

 spicuousness, but httle attention is usually paid to the habits 

 of these sun-loving insects of our fields and forest. Having 

 startled a yellow- winged Arphia or "Quaker" to its wings, 

 one July day, I followed it for several yards in the open 

 woods, where it ahghted on the ground, on some curled dead 

 leaves. This individual was colored yellowish sienna-brown 

 on the upper surface of the body, in exact simulation of the 

 background of dead leaves and bleached grasses. There were 

 some green grasses and green leaves of wild strawberry also 

 surrounding the spot, but this vegetation was avoided by the 

 locust, in a preference for the dried leaves. Though I walked 

 toward the insect, it refused to fly again, even refusing to do 

 so when I shuffled my feet and stirred tlie leaves in the near 

 vicinity. 



After I had kept quiet for about three minutes, the locust, 

 evidently supposing danger had passed, began leisurely cleaning 

 its antennse with its front legs, and soon moved its body around 

 to expose its back to the warm sun rays. 



Not far from this site, a few minutes afterward, I started up 

 another locust of this species under very similar circumstances. 

 Both of these insects were females. The second locust was 

 considerably darker in color, yet she, too, matched the back- 

 ground of dead leaves. Her actions were identical with those 

 of the former locust, in the behavior of refusing to fly the second 

 time, and in keeping very quiet on the ground. I soon dis- 

 covered the fact that both color forms of this insect corresponded 

 to two general types of coloring found among dead leaves. 

 The first type is shown in the leaves with a distinct yellowish- 

 sienna cast to them, fallen during the past season. The second 

 type is more brownish, appearing on older leaves that have 

 laid for more than one season. Leaves of the latter character 

 possess gradations of darker hues, until they assume the very 

 dark color of humus. The russet-colored leaves were well 

 represented by the sycamore, examples of which were scattered 

 over the ground by the wind. 



