PYCHE.downloads.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/1896/091864.pdf · PYCHE. NOTES ON TIlE ACRIDIDAE OF NEWENGLAND.mlI.mTRYX__ ALINAE.--VII. ... oum Biochemistry Research International Archaea

PYCHE.

NOTES ON TIlE ACRIDIDAE OF NEW ENGLAND.mlI.mTRYX__

ALINAE.-- VII.

BY ALBERT P. MORSE, WELLESLF.Y MASS.

O. MECOSTETHUS Fieb. 13. Mecostethus lineatus Scudd.

l/[ecoslet]us Fieber I853. Syn. d. Figs, 3, I3a, t3b.eur. Orth., p. o.This genus is sharply distinguished Arcyptera lieata. Scudder, 462,--

from the other New England Tryxali- 86z.nae by tle structure of the tegmina Stelheophyma lieata. Thomas,which possess a highly-developed in- 98. Fernald, 38.tercalary vein. In this particular it is Stet]op]yrad lineata. Morse, io5.closely allied to the Oedipodinae. This This species is very similar tovein in the male is provided with a grossus of Europe. It is the most corn-rasp for stridulating, a structure found mon one in the southern part of Newin some Oedipodinae also. The pro- England while gracillis is probablynotum also is somewhat Oedipodine in more often met with in the northerncharacter, having the metazona longer States. In addition to the charactersthan the prozona; and the meeting of given in the key the present speciesthe face and vertex is rounded in the diftrs fl’om the others in having thefemale. Referred at first to Arcyptera tegmina much longer and narrowerand later to Stethophyma (incorrectly proportionally and their dorsal (anal)Stetheophyma, see Brunner, Prod. portion is more nearly of the same tinteur. Orth., p. z39), our species be- as the rest. The teeth of the rasp arelong to this genus and one of them very low and (lull. In coloration theis very similar to the European one females are very much darker thanforming the type. Our three species those ofgracilis, being of a deep pur-were described by Scudder and have ple brown. (See also remarks underbeen thought by some authors to be other species.)but varieties of one, but they are un- About oo. specimens show the fol-doubtedly distinct, lowing measurements

PSYCttE. [November 896,

Antenna. Hind fern. Teg. Body. Total.

4.5-18 21-26.5 23-27 28-32lO-11.5 18 26-31.5 34-38 35-41.5

The abdomen of the o usuallypasses the end of the hind femora bymm. that of the 9 by3 ram.

Though somewhat local this speciesis rather common in southern NewEugland in wet, sedgy meadows alongrivers and brooks and in swampy tractswhere water often stands on the groundfor days at a time. It has a powerful,swift, and sustained flight, often pro-longed for one or two hundred feet ina straight, slightly rising, then gradu-ally descending course, it is quite shy,taking flight readily, and rising rapidlywhen flushed, and is best secured bymarking down, following up, and cap-turing while on the ground or on start-ing to rise. The 9 is more difficultto flush than the o and seems to be lessabundant; I have captured over 2oo

specimens but in ordinary collectingonly about a tentl as many 9 as o.It may be looked for from the middleof July till the end of the season; Ihave taken it at Readville, Mass., July2i, 6, 9, yg. Sherborn, Mass., Oct.6. 9 and on intermediate dates atNewtonville, Mass., and North Havenatd Thompson, Conn. Mr. Scudderreports it from Andover and Williams-town, Mass., and Norway, Me. (Dist.Ins. N. H.).

14. Mecostethus gracilis Scudd.Fig. 14

Arcytera gracilis. Scudder, 463,862.

Sletfleophyma gracih’s. Thomas,99"

Stelhoihyma gracilis. Morse, lO5.This species may be readily distin-

guished fi’om lfnealus, which it mostresembles in the form of the pronotum,by the absence of" a pale streak on thebase of the tegmina near the anteriormargin; by the more compressed formof the body, especially of the head andprozona the smaller size; the broadertegmina, which have the internal bor-der noticeably expanded; and in thecase of the male by the height of theteeth of the rasp, which are as high aswide and acutely pointed. (See latyp-terus for comparison with that species).Antenna.d’

8.5- 9.5

Hind fem. Tegmina. Teg.> Hind fern.-14 z6.5-21 3 5

I4.5-,6 17 -23.5

Body. Total.19-23 22.5-2826-33.5 24 -3 r.6

The tip of the abdomen in the ousually reaches just about to the tip ofthe hind femora; in the 9 exceeds themby half the length of the ovipositor,one-and-a-half mm. It will be seenthat the tegmina of the 9 are veryvariable in length.

This species is not uncommon in thenorthern States, even plentiful locally,but rather shy, taking readily to wingand flying two or three rods. Its flightis straight and it drops rather suddenlyinto the grass. On the summit ofGreylock Mr., where most of my speci-mens were procured, it was rather diffi-cult to distinguish from Camnula 35el-lucida when flying. Both sexes flywell but the ’ is the more active,

November 896.] PSYCttt?. 445

seeming three or four times as plenti-ful. I have found it in wet, sedgymeadows and bushy swamps, and on

mountain-tops. On Greylock it iscomnaon in the low bushes an(t grassof the extreme summit; on Washing-ton in the sedgy area called the " cow-

pasture or " Semidea plateau." itsnote, a fine, dry " scpe," is the loud-est produced by any of our Tryxalinae,and can be heard at a distance of twoor three rods. _A_ description and nota-tion of it will be found in Scudder’sDistribution of Insects in N. H. andthe 23rd report of the EntomologicalSociety of Ontario.

I have taken it in the following local-ities: Norway, Me., Aug. I6, 2 oMontgomery, Vt., July i8, 2 o, 9Newport, Vt., 2 o; Greylock Mr.,Adams, Mass., Aug. I7, 80 o, 22 .Mr. Scudder reports it abundant in

Jefferson and other parts of the WhiteMrs., and I have found it not uncom-mon on the summit of Mr. Washingtonin early Sept.

I5. Mecostethus platypterus Scudd.

Figs. i5, 15 a, 5b.

Arcyybtera 2Malyptera. Scudder,463,--I862.

Slelheo2bhjvma platyptera. Thomas,

99"Slethophyma platyptera. Morse,

IO5This species, while of-a darker, less

yellowish, brown, is very similar incoloration to gracilis. The proster-num is less elevated than in eitherlineatus or gracilis, being scarcely

more than strongly convex. In themale, the teeth of the rasp, whilelarger than in linealus, are less ele-vated and acutely pointed than ingra-ciHs, and the mid-line of the sternumof segment 9 of the abdomen is black.It is also distinguished from gracilisby the larger head, and longer andmore slender antennae.

Antenna. Hind fem. Teg. Teg. > Hind fem.15 -6.5 9-2 --37.6-2o.6 24-25 --I.5-O

Body. Total.23-26 26.8-295-4o -4o

The end of the abdomen of the isusually 2 to 3 ram. short of the tip ofhind femora; in one ? it is of equallength, and in another it exceeds themby ’5 mm.Of this species I have seen less than

a score of specimens. Of those I took

5 o, , at Thompson, Conn., Aug.4, 25, the 9 on the latter date, and one

? was taken at Sherborn, Mass., byMr. A. L. Babcock. These are theonly localities known to me though itwill probably be found to occur over a

wide area. At Thompson it is foundin company with lineatzts and is im-possible to distinguish from that specieswhen flying, though its flight is some-what less sustained, and it is decidedlymore difficult to flush. It is a less shyand active species than lineatus, andthe female, while perfectly well able tofly, is very sluggish,the single one

taken personally was secured while en-

deavoring to start specimens up out ofthe long sedge of a swamp, and beingseen percled upon the grass was atonce swept into the net.

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PYCHE.downloads.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/1896/091864.pdf · PYCHE. NOTES ON TIlE ACRIDIDAE OF NEWENGLAND.mlI.mTRYX__ ALINAE.--VII. ... oum Biochemistry Research International Archaea