PINK INSECT MUTANTS 



WILLIAM MORTON WHEELER 



The present wide-spread interest in mutation lends fresh signi- 

 ficance to the cases of dichromatism and trichromatism among 

 insects, and suggests experiments in breeding these animals under 

 laboratory control. The sporadic occurrence of pink individuals 

 among our commonly leaf-green katydids (Locustidae) belonging 

 to the sub-families Phaneropterinae and Pseudophyllinae, and 

 especially in our two species of Amblycorypha, has been known for 

 some years. Scudder called attention to some of these individuals 

 in three brief papers (1878, 1897, 1901), ahd published a fine colored 

 figure of a pair of them on a spray of golden rod.^ From time to 

 time other authors have recorded similar observations. Certain 

 Homoptera, as I shall show presently, also exhibit color aberrations 

 of the same kind. The following are the cases of pink Locustidae 

 of which I find records in the literature: 



Cijrtophyllus pcrspicillaiys T.. 



No. 1. A single specimen taken at Point Pleasant, X. J. Sex 

 and date of capture not mentioned (Lewis 1883). 



C. roseus Stal. 



No. 2. The type of the species from Chiriqui, Costa Rica, 

 cited by Scudder (1901). 



Amblycon/pha rofundijolia Scudder. 



No. 3. Female, taken August 29, on Sliarp .Mountain, Schuyl- 

 kill County, Pa. Recorded by Scudder (1878) who received it 

 from Leidy. 



1 Entomol. News, XII, 1901, PI. VI. This plate is reproduced by Blatchlev 

 (1902). 



773 



