42 



The developments of the summer justified the prediction just 

 mentioned. No injury was reported, and the locusts were remarkably 

 scarce throughout the region indicated. 



THE CAUSES OF NEEDLESS ALARM. 



While in Peoria county late in March I heard occasional rumors 

 of the appearance of numbers of grasshoppers, but investigation 

 showed that such rumors were usually founded upon the occur- 

 rence of one or two specimens, generally about woodlands. A 

 little later, in Knox county, I heard a similar report, being informed 

 that a farmer of unquestionable reliabilit}^ had seen grasshoppers 

 frequently in his meadow, and had specimens in his possession. 

 On visiting the gentleman I found that the statement was indeed 

 true, but that the insects were half -grown specimens of the com- 

 mon green-striped locust, Tracjocephala viridifasciata. In the 

 meadow where these had been taken, half grown individuals were, 

 at the time of my visit, not uncommon, hopping about on the 

 grass, although the ground, in many parts of the field, was cov- 

 ered with snow. 



Specimens of the same locust were received April 9 from Mr. 

 R. C. Davis of Peoria county, who wrote that they were very 

 common in the woods about five miles north of French Grove. 



The fact that this insect hibernates in the larval state has long 

 been known to entomologists. Dr. Harris in writing of it nearly 

 fifty years ago remarked:* "The larvae or young survive the 

 winter sheltered among the roots of grass and under leaves." And 

 Dr. Riley has notedf that they are often the cause of unnecessary 

 alarm concerning the visits of the Rocky Mountain locust, reports 

 of the early hatching of this notorious species being based upon 

 the presence of the young green-striped locusts daring the mild 

 weather of early spring. 



This green- striped locust can be easily distinguished from either 

 the red-legged or olive locust by the peculiar keel-shaped form of 

 the thorax and by the broad green stripe on the anterior wings. 

 •"Like so many other species of its family it occurs in two well- 

 marked varieties, one in which, in addition to the stripes on the 

 front wings, the whole body and hind thighs above are pea green; 

 the other in which this color gives way to pale brown. In both 

 varieties the hind wings are smoky with the basal third greenish. "J 



At the time of my last visit to the infested region (June 4 and 

 ■5) much apprehension prevailed concerning the seeming great 

 probability of another locust attack. It w^s commonly believed 

 that the pests were hatching by millions, but investigation soon 

 showed that this also was a case of mistaken identity, the supposed 



•Insocts Injurious to Vegetation. 3rd ed., p. 183. 



tFirst Rep. U. S, Eiit. Com., p. 253. 



-t Ililey : First Rep. U. S. Ent. Com., p. 250. 



