Sept. 21, 1914 
New Sarcophagid Parasite of Grasshoppers 
437 
A peculiarity of the sarcophagid flies is that they are often unable to 
distinguish grasshoppers from other insects; they were observed to strike 
moths and butterflies, actually depositing larvae upon them. However, 
attempts to rear the flies from moths and butterflies so attacked were 
unsuccessful. 
While in the midst of these observations a cicada ( Cicada tibicen L.) 
flew up, and no less than a dozen flies flew after it. Owing to the ex¬ 
ceedingly strong flight of the cicada it could not be captured. The 
species attacking the cicada could not be determined, but apparently it 
was Sarcophaga kellyi , as this species was the only one collected in the 
field at that time. The following note by Mr. Theodore Pergande, now 
in the files of the Bureau of Entomology, indicates, without proving it, 
that sarcophagids can develop in C. tibicen. 
On August 22, 1894, Mr. Thomas J. Brady, of Colonial Beach, Va., sent one dead 
specimen of Cicada tibicen to Washington; from it emerged a number of dipterous 
larvae, the adults of which have been determined by Dr. Aldrich as Sarcophaga helicis . 
As further illustrating the indiscriminate deposition by the flies, the 
writer crumpled a piece of tissue paper and threw it into the wind among 
them, when no less than half a dozen flies struck it. When the paper 
was examined, two tiny maggots were found clinging to it. 
In July, 1913, nymphs of Melanoplus differentialis and M . bivittatus 
became quite plentiful, affording ample material for study. Adults of 
Sarcophaga kellyi were very common, depositing on nymphs of grass¬ 
hoppers in the second, third, and fourth instars as they hopped about, 
but in no instance could a fly be observed depositing on those not in 
motion. 
Mr. H. E. Smith, of the Bureau of Entomology, repeatedly observed 
flies depositing on nymphs of Dissosteira longipennis Thos., on June 16, 
1913, during a severe outbreak of this species at Elida, N. Mex. His 
observations are as follows: 
Immediately and for some time after molting, the grasshopper is very soft and by 
no means active, but crawls upon some vegetation in order to dry. The female 
sarcophagid flies in amongst weeds, etc., where the grasshoppers are drying them¬ 
selves, crawls upon them, and though the grasshoppers kick, but not vigorously, 
sticks living maggots beneath the posterior end of the thoracic sculpture. 
Mr. Smith succeeded in collecting enough of the depositing flies to 
substantiate his observations on the methods of larviposition; and, 
besides, a large number of Sarcophaga kellyi were reared at the Welling¬ 
ton, Kans., laboratory from material collected by him at Elida. Possibly 
this species in common with others utilizes more than one method of 
larviposition, thus responding to a variety of stimuli in depositing their 
young. 
Quite a serious outbreak of grasshoppers occurred in the vicinity of 
Wellston, Okla., early in June, 1913, the prevalent species being Melanop¬ 
lus differ entialis, M. bivittatus , and M . atlanis , with a few scattering 
individuals of other species, both imagoes and nymphs doing much 
damage to com and alfalfa and literally swarming in grasslands. The 
ground was strewn with dead nymphs and adults,of the three species men¬ 
tioned which had died from parasitism by sarcophagids, their bodies 
being alive with maggots, while the fields were also literally swarming 
with these flies engaged in striking adults and nymphs of each instar, 
except the first, but deposition took place only while grasshoppers were 
flying, or, in the case of the nymphs, hopping. The winged grasshoppers 
