490 
ANNUAL REPORT OF NEW-YORK STATE SOCIETY. 
GIGANTIC LOCUSTS. 
the wings spotted with black in a peculiar manner, as shown in the figure on 
plate iii, these spots having some resemblance to waves running from the body- 
outwards and becoming more dense till they pass into a border which is totally 
black, upon the hind margin of the wings. The wing covers of these species 
also show faint spots forming obscure transverse bands. Agreeing with each 
other in these several marks, it is notsurprising that these insects should have 
been regarded as forming but one or two species, the differences between them 
being imputed to a fading of particular specimens. The four species can bo 
most readily distinguished from each other by the ground color of their wings. 
Their names and the colors alluded to are as follows : 
The Chested locust, Aerydiam cristulum, Linn. Greenish blue. 
The Leader locust, A. Dax, Drury. Brick red. 
Latreille’s locust, A. Latreillei, Perty. Pale yellow. 
The Half-red locust, A. scmiruLrum, Serville. Vermillion red, the outer 
half pale green. 
The females are usually three and a half inches long in each of theso species 
except the third, in which they measure from four to nearly four and a half 
inches. Their males are remarkably smaller, being but about half the size of 
the females. The Crested locust is the most common of all these gigantic 
locusts, occurring in abundance along the river Amazon and other parts of 
Brazil and in Cayenne. This has also received the name of White-legged 
locust (albipes) from Degecr. Authors usually state this species to be four 
inches in length, but my specimens received from M. Lacerda and others, each 
measure as above stated. All the insects of this family, however, vary in their 
size. The Leader locust inhabits the same countries with the Crested locust, 
and according to Drury it occurs at Honduras also. Indeed it is probable that 
each of these insects will be found in all the countries between the tropics. 
Latrcille’s locust has heretofore been known as occurring only along the Ama¬ 
zon and in other parts of Brazil, but the specimens gathered by Lieut. Van 
Rensselaer show that it is common at Panama also. Its width across the 
extended wings is from eight to nine and a half inches, its thorax being 0.00 
wide and 0 80 high. Its four anterior legs are an inch and a half long and the 
hind pair 3.05 to 4.10, its antennae 1.60. The specimens were preserved in 
diluted alcohol, and are of a pale dull yellow color. The figures herewit 
presented show the form of the several parts so distinctly that a detaile 
description is scarcely necessary. According to Stoll’s figures the male is bu 
two and a half inches long with the colors brighter, and the wings of a rose-re., 
tint bordered and spotted with black the same as the female. The Half-red 
locust has as yet been captured only in Cayenne. It differs from the other 
three species in having the wings destitute of a black border and spots. It 
ivas first made known by Stoll, under the name of the Yellow-horned locust 
(Jlavicome) , and this author appears to have regarded it ns identical with a 
Chinese species, the Rose winged locust (A. roseum) of Degeer, subsequently 
named Jlavicorne in the works of Fnbricius, Donovan, Serville and others. 
Hence Serville changed the name to that which it now bears. 
