402 NATURE SKETCHES IN TEMPERATE AMERICA 



it is a harmless species to cultivated crops. But from a bio- 

 logical point of view it is of particular ii|iterest. The form of 

 this locust, as well as the body color patterns, are seemingly 

 of use in protecting its life from predaceous animals. It is a 

 variable species, presenting three types joi color markings in 

 the male, and at least two types of coloring in the female. 

 These color forms may be represented as follows : 



Male 1st form. Dorsum, face, and middle legs green, con- 



Very much smaller trasting with dark brown of the remaining portions 



than female of the body. 



Snd form. Light straw color replaces the green, and 



in other respects similarly colored. 

 3rd form. Body wholly green with the exception of 

 eyes and antennae, which are pale brown. 

 Female 1st form. Pale green dotted with brown on the wing- 



covers (tegmina). 

 Snd form. Body wholly bro*n. 



The landscape view of a creek bottom, shown in the accom- 

 panying plate, shows the habitat of this locust. In the open 

 foreground, the greater part of the vegetation consists of lizard's 

 tail, blue flag, and sedges, springing from the perpetually wet 

 sandy creek bottom. Water plantain and marsh grasses are 

 also represented, but not conspicuously showing in the view. 



This vegetation, together with the wet ground, is the ideal 

 home of the short-horned locust. As these insects perched 

 on the leaves, or stems of these plants, the colors of the insect 

 were remarkably beautiful, yet very inconspicuous against the 

 green background. These locusts often hid behind the stems 

 of the leaves, in which case their slender bodies proved to be 

 exquisitely adapted for concealment. 



On August sixth and seventh I found that some of the 

 nymphs of these insects had just undergone the last moult, 

 having just arrived at maturity. At the same time I found 

 many of the larvae in the wet marsh grass in various stages 

 of development. The morning dew was still on the vegeta- 

 tion when I visited this locality on the seventh. Then I 

 found rtiat the males, which are much smaller than the females, 

 were quite sluggish, and they generally (jhose to perch on the 

 upper surface of the leaves of the lizard's tail. They often 

 flew but a few feet when disturbed, and their transparent 

 wings would fail to attract attention to them. 



