346 NORTH AMERICAN MELANOPLI (ORTHOPTERA) 



Intergradation with viridipes eurycercus occurs in parts of 

 southern Michigan, Wisconsin and most of Indiana. To varying 

 degrees always atypical in central and northern Indiana and 

 southern Michigan, it is surprising to find the species atypical in 

 Polk County in northwestern Wisconsin and typical of the eastern 

 race, viridipes eurycercus, in the northern portion of the Lower 

 Peninsula of Michigan. 



Melanoplus beameri Hebard (PI. XXII, figs. 4 and 5; pi. XXIII, 



fig. 4; pi. XXVII, fig. 1) 

 1931. Melanoplus beameri Hebard, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., lxxxiii, p. 



175, text figs. 1 and 2. [d\ 9 : Leavenworth County, Kansas, and 



Kansas City, Missouri.] 



This insect apparently supplants viridipes viridipes in western 

 Missouri and eastern Kansas. No material from central or 

 eastern Missouri is as yet available to enable us to decide whether 

 or not it is a western race of that species. It may indeed prove 

 to be a western race of similis, which insect typically has very 

 different appearing male cerci, but in one male of similis from 

 West Point, New York, a very definite approach toward the 

 cereal type normal in beameri is shown. The cereal variation in 

 similis is discussed under that species. 



Melanoplus similis Morse (PI. XXII, figs. 6, 7 and 8; pi. XXVII, fig. 2) 

 1904. Melanoplus similis Morse, Researches in North American Acrid., 



Carnegie Mus. Wash., Publ. 18, p. 47, text fig. 6. [cf, 9; Murphy, 



North Carolina.] 

 1920. Melanoplus calloplus Hebard, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, xlvi, p. 398, 



pi. 16, figs. 13 and 14. [c? 1 , 9; type locality — Collison Ridge, Bath 



County, Virginia.] 



At the time we described calloplus the original description and 

 figure of similis alone were available. Examination of the 

 original series of similis has subsequently shown that the latter 

 is very inaccurate and that our material unquestionably repre- 

 sents the same species. 



In frequent males the degree of convexity of the dorso-caudal 

 angle of the cercus is variable, giving the apex a much less truncate 

 appearance than usual when that convexity is greatest. Such is 

 particularly prominent in one male from West Point, New York, 

 where much closer than usual resemblance to the cercus of some 





