CLOVER AND ALFALFA PESTS 825 
tibiae are pale blue. The young are near- 
ly of the same general color, with the 
dark markings less pronounced. 
Life History 
The holes in which the eggs are laid 
are usually drilled in hard or compact 
soil. The eggs are laid regularly and hori- 
zontally and cemented together, as well 
as being surrounded with a liquid cement 
which renders the mass waterproof. The 
young hatch the following spring, as soon 
as it becomes warm and they begin to 
reach maturity early in June. Pairing 
begins soon after and eggs are deposited 
from August to October. There are two 
forms of the adults, characterized by long 
and short wings. The species is very pro- 
lific and does much damage. It is only 
occasionally migratory. 
ESSiG 
Fig. 1. The Valley Grasshopper (Oedaleonotus 
enigma Seudd). (Original. ) 
Food Plants 
All forms of vegetation, including the 
foliage of orchards and vineyards, uncul- 
tivated field crops, such as alfalfa, clover, 
grain, etc., and cultivated crops, such as 
vegetables, corn, potatoes, etc., are at- 
tacked. 
Differential Grasshopper 
Melanoplus differentialis Thomas 
General Appearance 
This is one of the larger hoppers, aver- 
aging one and five-eighths inches from 
front to the tip of the tegmina or wing 
covers. A very beautifully colored insect 
when fully matured. The head, thorax, 
abdomen and first two pairs of legs are 
amber or rich brown, the sutures being 
dark. The wing covers are brownish 
gray—the true wings being transparent. 
The hind femora are yellow with black 
cross lines, while the tibiae and tarsi are 
bright red, the former with black spots 
near the outer base. The spines and 
claws are black. The antennae are red- 
dish with dusky tips. 
green. 
The nymphs are 
Life History 
Egg-laying begins about the middle of 
the summer. The holes for the eggs are 
drilled into the soil in bare and vacant 
places, especially in alfalfa fields. From 
60 to 80 eggs are laid by each fe- 
male. They are protected from winter 
rains and freezes by an excretion of the 
female which makes the capsule contain- 
ing them waterproof. They begin to 
hatch in the warmer spring months, ap- 
pearing early in June and keep up their 
destructive work until August. The young 
green hoppers, as they mature, acquire 
wings and assume a yellowish tint, thus 
causing the belief that there are two dis- 
tinct species. The largest brood appears 
early in the summer, and the greatest 
amount of damage is done by the first of 
August. 
Fig. 1. 
plus differentialis Thomas. 
The Differential Grasshopper (Melano- 
(Original. ) 
Food Plants 
Practically all kinds of green vegeta- 
tion, including most of the forage and 
truck crops. Especially destructive to al- 
falfa. Orchard trees and vineyards are 
also attacked, some trees and vines being 
completely defoliated and many killed. 
Hopper Dozer: 
The use of the hopper dozer has _ be- 
come an important factor in the control 
of grasshoppers, especially in grain and 
hay fields, in pastures and even in culti- 
vated crops. The hopper dozer is con- 
structed as shown in Fig. 1. The back 
and sides are made of thin sheet iron or 
cloth and the pan at the bottom con- 
structed to hold about two inches of kero- 
sene. These dozers may be made any 
length but a two-horse size is the most 
