The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-07-20
THE SEVENTEEN YEAR LOCUST
From the St. Joseph Traveller.


Through large portion Of the West
and for augbt we know, they may be ev
erywhcre. the woods, orchards, meadows
and cornfelds are vocal with the Shril
piping Sounds OF these seventeen year
visits We 90 not notice any unusua
alarm in consequence Of their visit
They seem to be doing no HARM but are
having a great deal of sport in their way
holding Il general jubilee concert. The
male locust is true vent iloquist, for his
music proceeds from within, from which
can proceed four distinct NOISES. The lie
male is dumb The general noise On APP
preaching their concert grounds, is I;
COMPROMISE between threshing machine
in the distance and frog pond When
disturbed or frightened, they give s0r!
Of scream, or shrill shrek like u nest OF
young snakes or birds. They can also
produce a cbirp like cricket, anda very
loud, snriIl screech, prolonged fifteen or
twenty seconds, which, spelled out, pro
nOunces P--b--a----r--a--o--h thus call
ing Pharaoh, increasing IN force to The
end OF the second syllable, then decreas-
ing in t1ne on the last Entomologists
tell us hat these sounds are produced by
means of two drums, placed each side of
the thoraX near the roots Of each lower
wing, aided 10y we'll adapted and peculiar
muscles from within. These give the
whizzing sound, that now makes our
woods and orchards 50 resonant with the
Concord of discord,' that airly stuns
our ears when sc go ont into the woods.
Mr.. Riley, State Ent. mologist Of Mis-
souri,, says of it:
The larvae IT this insect has frequent
ly been found ut depth Of ten feet below
the surface. As the season for appear
ance in the fly state approaches, they
rise to the surface through smooth, CYL
indrical holes, which are made by press
ing the earth on all sides, and throwing
tue refuse to the bottom. This must be
quite difficult for them, as they penetrate
hard roads and come up between rocks
as they frequently do When the surface
is reached they retire back several inches
and rest until they are ready to cast of
their last skin, when they crawl UP to the
first object at hand, tasten themselves,
and IN the course of an hour creep out Of
their skeletons, which they leave almost
intact behind them The operation of
emerging requires about ten minutes, and
at this time the body is soft and white,
with the exception of q black patch on
the pro-thorax. They are very helpless,
and subject to the attacks of numerous
enemies, such as birds, reptiles, and can
hibal insects. Among the latter may be
mentioned beetles, the dragon flies, and
especially the ants.
The wings are developed in less than
an hour, but the dark colcr of the BODY
is not acquired TIL several hours have
elapsed. They are somewhat dull for q
day or two, but soon become active in
flight and. song, as their muscles and diff
ferent parts harden. After pairing, the
female lays her eggs on the twigs of the
oak, hickory, and apple. The eggs are
laid IN pairs, are pearl white, 1-12th Of
al inch long, and tapering at Zach end
to an obtuse point. They hatch in from
six to eight weeks, and should the twia
not have fallen, the young deliberately
drop from the end of it, and commence
burrowing in the ground"