The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma / edited by A.E. Shipley, assisted by Guy A.K. Marshall. Orthoptera. (Acridiidae) / by W.F. Kirby.

Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma / edited by A.E. Shipley, assisted by Guy A.K. Marshall. Orthoptera. (Acridiidae) / by W.F. Kirby. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    proposed to include in the Orthoptera under the title of Pseudo- neuroptera; the Dragonflies, however, have four membranous wings, generally resembling each other closely, and covei-ed by a network of veins. There are a few small groups of insects whicli are sometimes included in the Orthoptera, which are now more usually regarded as aberi-ant Neuroptera, or else as independent Orders. These are the Thysanoptera, Anoplura, Mallophaga, Thysauura, and Collembola. The Orthoptera proper are divided into seven principal families, of which the first four have the hind legs fitted for walking. They comprise the FoKFicuLiDiE or Earwigs, the Blattidvt; or Cock- roaches, the MAifTiDjE or Praying Insects, and the PhasmidtE or Stick Insects (sometimes called Spectre Insects). The Leaping Orthoptera have the hind legs strongly developed, and the hind femora much thickened ; they comprise the GtBTL- LiDJE or Cricliets, the Phasgonueidje or Long-horned Grasshoppers (often improperly called Loctjstid.5:), and the Aceidiid.t:, the Short-horned Grasshoppers or Locusts. The last family, the one with which alone we are here concerned, may generally be recognized at a glance by the short antennae and the 3-jointed tarsi. General Observatiom. The Order Orthoptera is the least numerous of the great Orders of Insects, with the possible exception of the Neuroptera, and is very poorly represented in England. In the Indian Eegion the species are far more numerous, and sometimes occur in devastating swarms, especially in the north-western regions, which are exposed to the attacks of various species of Migratory Locusts. [Some species are only found in woods, others only in open grass laud, and some prefer very rough ground. They deposit their eggs in the ground in masses, covered with a glutinous secretion. A detailed account of the migratory species and their allies, by Mr. H. Maxwell Lefroy, will be found in the ' Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture in India, 1906, Entomological Series,' vol. i. No. 1, with numerous illustrations. The species referred to are:— Acridium 'peregrinmn, 01. (ScJiistocerca iatarica, L., of this work), the North-West'migratory locust. Acridium succinctum, L. (Orthacanthacris of this work), the Bombay locust. Acridium ceriiginosum, Bui'm. (Cyrtacanthacris ranacea, Stoll, of this work). Acridium melanocorne, Serv. {Orthacanthacris nigricornis, Burm., of tliis work). Pcecilocera picta, F. Demodocus rohustus, Serv. {Heteracris of this work). Hierocjlyphus furcifer, Serv. {H. banian, F., of this work).