Cambridge Entomological Club, 1874
PSYCHE

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Article beginning on page 279.
Psyche 8:279-281, 1897.

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PSYCHE.
NOTES ON
NEW ENGLAND ' ACRIDIIDAE, IV,- ACRIDI1NAE.- IV. BY ALBERT P. MORSE, WELLESLCT, MASS.
25. Melanoplus Stal.
Melanoplus StM 1873. Recensio or-
thopterorum, I, p. 79.
To this genus belong most of the
locusts of medium size that swarm in
our fields in late summer and early
autumn in countless numbers and are
popularly called grasshoppers."
36. Melanoplus atlanis Riley.
Figs. 36, a, b, c, d.
Caloptmus atlanis. Riley, Ann. Rep.
Ins. Mo., VII, 169,(1875).
Melanoplus a/Zaftis, Fernald, Orth.
N. E., 33; Beutenmuller, Orth. N. Y.,
306 ; Scudder, Rev. Melanopli, I 78.
MelafWphts atladis. Comstock, Introd.,
no ; Morse, List, 106 (typ. error).
Measurements from 208 13s 2 :,
-Antenna: f , 7-8.5; 2 6.5-8. H.
fern. : 8, 10-13 ; 9, 10-14. Teg.: 8,
15-21 ; ?,I4.S-22, Body: <?,I7-21.5;
9, 16-27. Total: f, 20.5-27; 2,
20-29 mm. The tegmina pass the hind
femora from 1.5 to 6 nun.
The separation of the females of this
species from those of femur-ruli~um will cause the novice considerable difficulty, and examples are occasionally met with
that puzzle even the expert.
The char-
acters presented by the prosternal spine, the cerci, and the ovipositor as indicated in the key are the most valuable and
when summed up will in all but a very
few cases enable one to decide with
certainty.
The hind tibiae of this species are
normally red, but in about ten per cent
of the specimens they are either reddish at tip and otherwise colored at base, or luteous, glaucous, or bluish. In this
respect males are more variable than
females.
This species is found over the whole
of New England from Nantucket to
Canada, from the seashore to the alpine
tops of the White Mts. It appears early
in the season (June 17-21) and is found
late in the fall (Nov. r 6).
It is seldom found except in dry situ-
ations, and is most abundant in hilly
regions where it frequents sandy or
gravelly spots and the slopes on light
soil. In favorable localities it is found in immense numbers and causes much
damage. Probably to this species should
he laid much of the destruction attri-
buted tofemur-rubrum in early accounts
of locust ravages in New England.




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280 PA- Ycz7??3. [November 1818,
37. Melanoplus scudderi Uhler.
Figs. 37, a, b.
Pezotettix scuilderi. Uhler, Proc. Ent.
Soc. Phila., 11, 555, (1864). Smith,
Orth. Ct., 370; Thomas, Syn. Acrid.,
I <2 ; Comstock, Introd., 107 ; Morse,
List, 106 ; Beutenmiiller, Orlli. N. Y., 3O9-
MeZanoplns scuilderi. Scudder, Rev.
Melanopli, 212, pi. xiv, figs. 5, 6.
Measurements from 82 f, 84 :-
.
Antenna : f , 6.5-7 ; 9, 6-7.
H. fem. :
f, 10-11 ; 9, 11-13. Teg.: f,4-5.5
(average 5, 2 examples 8 and 8.5) ; 9,
5-8 (av. 6, a little more than pronutum). Body : f , 15-18 ; 9, 17-24 mm.
This species is unlikely to be mistaken
for any but mancus whose range over-
laps its own.
It is much more likely to
be passed by as an immature form.
It is
a local but common species,.often abun-
dant in favorable localities and seems to prefer dry hillsides among bushes, road- sides, and open woods. Some years ago
it was quite plentiful among the rocks
and bushes on the talus slope at the foot of West Cliff, New Haven, Ct. It has
been reported from Brunswick, Me.,
Springfield, Mass., and many points in
the South and West. Personally, I have
met with it only in Connecticut in the
latter part of August but it probably oc- curs in many parts of central Massachu-
setts and it should be looked for from the first of August until late in the fall.
38. Melanoplus mancus Smith.
Figs. 38, a, b, c.
Pezotettix manca. Smith, Orth. Me.,
in Proc. Portland Soc. Nat. Hist., I,
(1868), p. 149. Thomas, Syn. Acrid.,
149 ; Fernald, Orth. N. Y., 30, Morse,
List, 106.
Melanoplus mancifs. Scudder, Rev.
Melanopli, 218, pi. xiv, fig. 9. Meas-
urements from 70 f ,83 $ .-Antenna :
8, 6.5-7; 9, 6.5-7. H. fern.: 2,
8.3-9; ?, 10-12. Teg.: f, 2-4 ; 9,
3-5. Body: f, 14-17.5 (average
IS+ ;) 9, 18-25 (av. 21) mm.
This species has been found at but
four points in New England, three in
the north and one in the south. The
type locality was Speckled Mt., Stone-
ham, Me. ; I have taken it there and on
Kearsarge Mt. near No. Conway, N. H.,
at an altitude of 2000 to 3250 ft. Mr.
Scudder has found it on Mt. Sargent,
Mt. Desert Id., Me., and Prof. Blatchley took it at North Madison, Ct. This
latter locality is especially interesting as it had previously been found only at
high levels. It is apparently quite local, but continued collecting is likely to
reveal its presence at many additional
and intermediate points. The present
season (18g8), I found it common on
the summit of Ascutney Mt. (3300 ft.),
Windsol, Vt.
On Speckled Mt. where most of my
specimens were secured, I found it
plentiful, associated with Podisma &a-
cids among the various species of
"Vaccinium on the bare upper portions
of the mountain. It is quite alert and
agile, when approached springing sud-
denly and to a considerable distance,




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November 18g8.1 PSYCHE.
sometimes making several leaps in suc-
cession.
It probably matures in late July or
early August as it has been taken on
the mountains from Aug. 14 to Sept. 6.
39. Melanoplus fasciatus Walker.
Figs. 39, a.
Acridium fasciaturn Barnston Ms.
Walker, Cat. Dermapt. Salt. Brit. Mus.,
iv, p. 680 (1870).
Caloftenus fasciatus. Thomas, Syn.
Acrid., 224.
Pesotettix borealis. Scudder, Mat.,
464; Thomas, Syn. Acrid., 153 ; Smith,
Orth. Me., 149 ; Fernald, Orth. N. E.,
30 ; Morse, List, 106.
Melandplus borealis. Beuteumtiller,
Orth. N. Y., 308.
Pezotettix septentrionaiis. Morse,
Psyche (1894), 53.
Melanoplus recttts. Fernald, Orth. N.
E., 32 ; Morse, Psyche (18941, 53.
Melanoplus fasciatus. Scudder, Rev.
Melanopli, 267, pi. xviii, figs. 2, 3, 4. Measurements from 83 8, I 23 g : -
Antenna: 3, 7.5-9; 9, 6.5-8.5. H.
fern.: (?,9.3-10.7; 9, 10.7-12.7. Teg.:
3, 7.5-10.5; 9, 9-12,
Body: (T, 16-
19: Q, 16.5-25.5. Teg. vs. H. fern.:
3, -3.5- -5 ; 5 , -3.5- -6.
Body vs. H.
fern. : 3, -2--3 ; 9, -2- +3 mm.
A long-winged form is known from
Michigan, but has not been detected in
New England. This species is very
variable in color, the upper parts, while usually of a dark reddish brown, are
sometimes dark olivaceous gray and
occasionally are strikingly varied with
white. The only species likely to be
confused with it in New England is the
short-winged female of extremus.
This much-named locust is a some-
what local but common and widely dis-
tributed species. I have found it most
frequently among huckleberry bushes
growing in and along the edges of open
pitch-pine woods where it is frequently
associated with Chlaealtis conspersa.
While usually numerous in individuals
persistence is needed to secure many
specimens, as the ground may be cov-
ered several times with equally good
results, only a few being taken at one
trip. When startled it leaps well, but
may usually be secured without a net.
Adults appear in the latter part of
June, and may be found as late as Sep.
tember or October. I have taken it
from June 14 to Sept. 5, at Speckled
Mt., Stoneham, Me., Thompson, Ct..
West Chop, Martha's Vineyard, Prov-
incetown, Winchendon, Waltham, Sud-
bury, Sherborn, Dedham, and Wellesley,
Mass.
40. Melanoplus femur-rubrum DeG.
Figs. 40, a-d.
Actyllium femur-rubrum. DeGeer,
Memoires pour servir a l'histoire des
Insectes, t. Ill, p. 498, pi. 42, fig. 5. (1773). Harris, Treatise, 173.
Caloptenus femur-rubrum. Scudder,
Materials, 464; Smith, Orth, Me., 150,
-0rth. Ct., 362 ; Thomas, Syn. Acrid.,
163.
Melwofhis femur-rubrum. Fernald,
Orth. N. E., 33, Comstock, Introd., no,




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282 PSYCHE. [November 1898.
Morse, List, 106, Beutenmtiller, Orth.
N. Y., 306, Scudder, Rev. Melanopli,
278, pi. xix, figs. 1-4.
Measurements from 258 f , 173 9 : -
Antenna: $, 6.5-10; 9, 6.5-9. H.
fern.: 3, 10.7-13.3; 9, 11-15. Teg.:
8, 13-20; 9, 15.5-23. Body: $,
16-23; 9, 18-28. Total: $,IS.?-27.5
(average 23-25); 9, 22-30.7. Teg.
vs. H. fern.: $,= to +5; 9,-I to +<.
Though extremely plentiful, no marked
varieties occur in this species in New
England, the only variation worthy of
note being in the color of the hind
tibiae. These are so constantly red
that a locus1 having them colored other- wise may be looked upon as almost sure
to belong to another species, atJanis.
minor, or extremus. Still, examples of
femitr-rnjrum do occur with tibiae either pale (yellowish), or even greenish or
blue. These are, however, extremely
rare.
This is undoubtedly the commonest,
most ubiquitous, " grasshopper " found
in New England, occurring everywhere
throughout the district in every plat of grass or sedge from sea-shore to moun-
tain-summit. The destruction caused
from time to time by locusts in New
England is usually ascribed to this
species, and with good reason, though
in some cases, particularly when caused
by migratory swarms, it is probable that atlanis is largely if not chiefly con-
cerned. In August, 1892, I received
complaints of grasshopper injuries to
garden crops, tomatoes, beaus, etc., in
the vicinity of Norway, Me. These
proved on investigation to be entirely
due to this species, which was very
abundant locally, and no specimens of
atlanis could be found. It is very plen- tiful at times on some of the islands off shore, as I have found it on Cuttyhunk,
Mass., and Block Island, R. I., where it had the habit of collecting in great
numbers on the warm, sunny sides of
stone walls in the late afternoon and
remained over night.
While it is almost ubiquitous it is in
general most plentiful in meadows and
the damper portions of mowinglands
and pastures, among the more dense
and succulent vegetation.
It reaches maturity in the latter part
of July and is found throughout the rest of the season ; I have taken specimens
in the vicinity of Wellesley from July
25 to Nov. 8.
SOME NEW GENERA OF BEES.
BY WILLIAM H. ASHMEAD.
Assistant Curator Department of Insects U. S. National Museum. Family NOMADIDAE.
at apex; the subinarginal cells along the cubitus are of unequal length, the first and Zacosmia n. g.
third subequal, the second either petiolate or Marginal cell elliptical, not longer than narrowed into a point above; scutellum sub- the first cubital and separated from the costa bilobed, the axillae rounded or convex be-



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