1024 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Dec. 29, 1906. 
Familiar Insects. 
VI.—The Grasshopper and its Allies. 
If you compare, a grasshopper, a butterfly, a 
wasp, a horsefly, a bumblebee, or a dragon-fly—- 
each or all—with an earthworm, what is the most 
essential difference? So far as general appearance 
goes the earthworm is composed of a series of 
smooth rings or segments, arranged in line one 
after the other. Except for slight differences in 
size of the segments at each end, and for one 
swollen portion near the front of the body, the 
rings 'resemble each other. Two ways in which 
the insects named differ from the earthworm at 
once suggest themselves. The insects have legs, 
wings and antennae attached to the segments of 
the body; and the segments themselves, where 
they are visible as such, are arranged in groups, 
each group being separated from others by nar¬ 
row constrictions. 
In each of the insects named the rings or seg¬ 
ments are arranged in three groups, although the 
divisions between the segments of the two groups 
are so obliterated that it is difficult to trace them. 
In the hinder group, however, they are movable 
and easily distinguished. Each group of seg¬ 
ments is commonly recognized as a division of 
the body; the three divisions of the grasshopper, 
the bee, or the butterfly are named head, thorax 
and abdomen. 
If you examine a-grasshopper carefully, one of 
the first things you notice is that the body is 
divided into these three divisions. At the front 
end is the head ; just back of it are two parts 
bearing the legs and wings, and together form¬ 
ing .the thorax ; back of the thorax is a part 
divided into free moving rings; this is the abdomen. 
The head varies considerably in shape with dif¬ 
ferent species, of grasshoppers, but in general it 
is larger above than below. From near the 
middle of the front side project two slender 
feelers or antennae, each of which is composed 
of a number of distinct rings or segments joined 
together. Just above the base of each antenna 
is a large compound eye, the surface of which 
when seen by the unaided eye seems smooth and 
shining, but which under moderate magnification 
is seen to resemble the surface of a honeycomb, 
it having a great number of hexagonal divisions; 
these are the facets which make up the compound 
eyes. 
The simple eyes, of which there are three on 
the grasshopper’s head—two between the com¬ 
pound eyes and one above—are very different in 
structure, being merely small round lens-like ob¬ 
jects. These simple eyes are called ocelli. 
On the lower side of the head are situated the 
mouth-parts of the grasshopper. Beginning from 
above, we first see a large- four-sided flap or lip 
which moves up and down on a hinge; this is 
the upper lip or labrum. Immediately below the 
labrurn there is a pair of rather large jaws or 
mandibles, attached at the base so as to move 
sidewise, and having irregular teeth on their outer 
ends. On the inside of the mouth between the 
mandibles the tongue may be seen. Below this 
is a second pair of jaws called maxillce, while 
still lower is the labium or under-lip. 
Directly back of the head there is a large cape¬ 
like segment, bearing no wings .but having a 
pair of legs on its lower side. This is the first 
division of the thorax; it is called the pro¬ 
thorax. The remainder of the thorax is made up 
of two divisions united to each other. The first 
division behind the prothorax is the mesothorax; 
it bears the middle wings and legs. Behind this 
is. the metathorax which bears the hind pairs of 
wings and legs. 
The front pair of wings are long and slender 
and serve as a protective covering to the hind 
pair when at rest. The latter are then folded in 
longitudinal plaits like a fan. When the grass¬ 
hopper is flying the front wings are extended at 
right angles to the body, and the hind wings are 
stretched out. 
The abdomen is composed of a number of rings 
or segments, which move freely at their points of 
contact. In female specimens the abdomen ends 
in four pointed projections; by means of which 
is made the hole in the ground for the eggs; these 
form the ovipositor or egg-depositor, for the 
eggs of most of our grasshoppers are deposited 
late in summer or early in autumn in the ground. 
GRASSHOPPER LAYING EGGS IN SOFT WOOD. 
• A CAROLINA LOCUST. 
From Nature Biographies. 
The insects generally choose for this purpose 
rather firm soil, such as that found along road¬ 
sides or in highland pastures. By means of the 
projections from the end of the abdomen the 
female locust works her abdomen into the ground 
where she leaves a mass of eggs, the number 
varying with the species,- but usually several 
dozen. The eggs are enveloped in a peculiar 
mucus which hardens into a covering that shields 
the eggs from the wetness of the soil. Some 
species lay their eggs in rotten wood or in 
crevices in fence posts instead of in the soil. 
The eggs are small yellowish objects, much 
longer than wide, slightly curved in the middle. 
In the case of most of our species they remain 
unhatched until rather late the following spring, 
when the little grasshoppers emerge and feed 
upon the tender foliage about them. In a few 
days their size increases so much that they are 
too large for the skin 'with which they came 
into the world. So this skin splits open along 
the back, and the little ’hopper crawls out of it, 
having previously developed a new skin beneath 
the old one. During the next few weeks this 
molting process is repeated four times, wing- 
pads appearing the fourth time. Then a little 
'•later a final molt takes place, and the insect be¬ 
comes a full-fledged grasshopper. 
These changes as they take place in the case 
of the famous Rocky Mountain locust are illus¬ 
trated herewith, from drawings by the late C. V. 
Riley. It will be noted that the young ’hoppers 
bear a general resemblance to the adults, though 
they are smaller and have no wings. The in¬ 
sect also remains active and feeds during the 
stage immediately preceding the adult.- Thus the 
grasshopper's differ greatly from the caterpillars 
and butterflies, in which the early stages are not 
at all like the adult condition, and in which there 
is a quiet pupa stage when the insect is motion¬ 
less and takes no food. Insects whose life stages 
resemble those of the grasshopper are said to have 
incomplete transformations, while those which 
develop like butterflies are said to have complete 
transformations. 
The grasshoppers, belong to the order Orthop- 
tera, so called because of the straightness of their 
wings. This order includes also the crickets, 
cockroaches, katydids, walking sticks and man- 
tids. Of those members of the order commonly 
found in the United States the walking sticks are 
among the most interesting. These curious crea¬ 
tures will at once be recognized, even by persons 
seeing them for the first time, for their common 
name is at once suggested by their form. The 
long, slender, cylindrical body, with the loosely 
fitting legs and antennae, remind one of a twig 
or bit of stick. This resemblance is so striking 
that one is seldom likely to find a walking stick 
by merely looking for it, though often one can 
get them by beating branches over an open in¬ 
verted umbrella. The body is two or three 
inches long, the females being somewhat larger 
than .the males The antennae are about two- 
thirds as long as the body, and the front and 
hind legs somewhat shorter than the antennae. 
The walking sticks are entirely destitute of wings. 
This is one of the most remarkable things about 
them; another, is the unusual development of the 
thorax, the three divisions of which may be 
easily seen through a lens. The prothorax next 
the head is short and begrs the first pair of legs 
near the middle of the under surface. The meso¬ 
thorax is the longest segment of the body and 
bears the second pair of legs at- its posterior end. 
The metathorax is a little shorter than the meso¬ 
thorax and bears the third pair of lees also near 
its posterior end. Then follows the abdomen with 
its nine short joints, all together just about equal¬ 
ling in length the three thoracic segments. 
The common black crickets also belong to this 
same order. These are among the most familiar 
of summer insects. They are abundant every¬ 
where in fields and woods, hiding by day under 
such shelter as they can find. You can easily 
make out the important points in the external 
anatomy of a cricket. The large, nearly square 
head, bears on each upper front corner a goad¬ 
sized compound eye. Between these are the small 
simple eyes, appearing as minute white circular 
spots against the dark background of the head. 
Directly in front of each eye toward the median 
line arises one of the long, slender, tapering an- 
tennie, having a 'large basal joint, with the rest 
of the joints appearing under a lens as short, 
slightly swollen cylinders. The mouth-parts are 
similar to those of the grasshopper, as is the rest 
of the body in much of its general structure. 
The small yellowish eggs of crickets are de- 
nosited in masses in the soil about half an inch 
below the surface. Thev are laid in autumn and 
hatch the following spring into little crickets that 
