52 NEW NORTH AMERICAN MELANOPLI (ORTHOPTERA) 



In the present series the width of the caudal femur is; a 71 , 4 to 4. 1 ; 9 , 4. 8 

 to 5 mm. The tegmina slightly overlap in the Laredo male, in the others the 

 interval between these organs is .25 to .35 mm. 



Larger series are needed to determine whether the tegmina! differences, 

 which appear to aid in separating the races of this species, are constant in this 

 race and modestus modestus. 



General color ochraceous-buff (individually tinged with ochraceous-tawny, 

 varying to yellow-ocher), with a conspicuous round spot of ochraceous-buff 

 laterad near base of tegmina. Head marked with blackish as follows: medio- 

 longitudinally on the dorsal surface in a band which is divided by a pale line 

 caudad, with a postocular streak, flecks on the genae and with a transverse 

 band on each side beneath the antennal sockets terminating at the margins 

 of the frontal costa. Pronotum with medio-longitudinal band continued on 

 prozona, there dividing and then converging and forming a very narrow oval, 

 thence quickly becoming obsolete on the metazona; medio-longitudinal carina, 

 sulci and prozonal portion of lateral lobes pictured with blackish, the sutures 

 of the pleura and - periphery of the pale spot also blackish. Tegmina with 

 the multitude of minute veins ochraceous-tawny, the minute interstices 

 mummy-brown. Abdomen with proximal tergites irregularly suffused with 

 blackish meso-laterad. Ventral surface paler, usually tinged with yellow- 

 ocher, sutures of abdominal sternites black, male subgenital plate with a 

 median fleck of black. Cephalic and median limbs immaculate, of the gen- 

 eral coloration. Caudal femora with two heavy transverse bands and a 

 dorso-proximal suffusion of blackish, the first (median) band becoming ob- 

 lique on the external pagina, ventral margin of external pagina with a few 

 heavy black flecks, genicular areas black laterad except for entire area of 

 genicular lobes which is yellow-ocher; internal face of caudal femora antimony 

 yellow, tinged with coral-red ventro-proximad and crossed by the more distal 

 of black bands. Caudal tibiae of general coloration proximad, with a black- 

 ish ring at end of swollen portion, and with flecks of blackish or suffused with 

 that color at end of proximal third, remaining two-thirds bright coral-red, 

 spines and spurs buffy tipped with black, except proximo-internal spines 

 which are wholly black. 



Specimens Examined: 8; 4 males and 4 females. 



Texas: Uvalde, Uvalde County, 1000 to 1100 feet, VIII, 21, 1912, (R. and 

 H.), 3 cf, 3 9, type, allotype, paratypes. Laredo, Webb County, 550 feet, 

 VIII, 12, 1912, (R. and H.), 1 <? , 1 9 . 



Like Rhabdotettix, this species is thamnophilous and usually 

 found in thorn bushes, but it is also frequently encountered in 

 other vegetation affording security. The comparative scarcity 

 of the present race, in the small portion of the United States in 

 which it occurs, causes us to believe that, in adjacent northern 

 Mexico, modestus aristus will be found to have a very much 

 wider distribution, occurring there much more abundantly. 



