__NOTOC__

''Melanoplus'' is a large

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

grasshopper Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are amongst what are possibly the most ancient living groups of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago. Grassh ...

s. They are the typical large grasshoppers (and in some cases migratory "

locust Locusts (derived from the Latin ''locusta'', locust or lobster) are various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects are usually solitary, but under certain circumstances they b ...

s") in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

. A common name is spur-throat grasshoppers (also "spurthroat" or "spur-throated grasshoppers"), but this more typically refers to members of the related

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...

Catantopinae The subfamily Catantopinae is a group of insects classified under family (biology), family Acrididae. Genera such as ''Macrotona'' may sometimes called "spur-throated grasshoppers", but that name is also used for grasshoppers from other subfamili ...

. The largest grasshoppers of this genus can reach nearly in length, but most are smaller. Some are intricately patterned and colorful, others are drab. ''Melanoplus'' species eat grasses of all kinds, as well as leafy and grassy agricultural crops and garden plants. They feed on the leaves, and sometimes fruit, flowers, and buds, as well as tree bark. Many of the more notable agricultural pest grasshoppers belong here, including the

Rocky Mountain locust The Rocky Mountain locust (''Melanoplus spretus'') is an extinct species of grasshopper that ranged through the western half of the United States and some western portions of Canada with large numbers seen until the end of the 19th century. Sight ...

, the most significant insect pest of the 19th century

Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...

, but now

extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

Selected species

New

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

are often being discovered and described in this genus where

speciation Speciation is the evolutionary process by which populations evolve to become distinct species. The biologist Orator F. Cook coined the term in 1906 for cladogenesis, the splitting of lineages, as opposed to anagenesis, phyletic evolution within ...

runs rampant in isolated areas, involving speciation by

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two diff ...

ization.''Melanoplus''
BugGuide * '' Melanoplus adelogyrus'' – Volusia grasshopper, St. Johns short-wing grasshopper * '' Melanoplus alpinus'' – alpine grasshopper * '' Melanoplus angustipennis'' – narrow-winged sand grasshopper, narrow-winged spur-throat grasshopper * ''

Melanoplus aridus ''Melanoplus aridus'', the arid lands spur-throat grasshopper, is a species of spur-throated grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is found in North America. It is known to feed on ''Flourensia cernua ''Flourensia'' is a genus of flowering ...

'' – arid lands spur-throat grasshopper * ''

Melanoplus bispinosus ''Melanoplus bispinosus'', the two-spined spurthroated grasshopper, is a species of grasshopper belonging to the genus ''Melanoplus.'' This grasshopper is native to the United States. Distribution and habitat ''Melanoplus bispinosus'' is commo ...

'' – two-spined spurthroated grasshopper * ''

Melanoplus bivittatus ''Melanoplus bivittatus'', the two-striped grasshopper, is a species of grasshopper belonging to the family Acrididae. It is commonly found in North America, and is especially abundant on the Canadian prairies. Identification ''Melanoplus bivit ...

'' – two-striped grasshopper * ''

Melanoplus borealis ''Melanoplus borealis'', known generally as the northern spur-throat grasshopper or northern grasshopper, is a species of spur-throated grasshopper in the family Acrididae Acrididae are the predominant family of grasshoppers, comprising some ...

'' – northern spur-throat grasshopper * ''

Melanoplus bowditchi ''Melanoplus bowditchi'', the sagebrush grasshopper, is a species of short-horned grasshopper in the subfamily Melanoplinae The Melanoplinae are a subfamily of grasshoppers in the family Acrididae. They are distributed across the Holarctic and ...

'' – sagebrush grasshopper * ''

Melanoplus bruneri ''Melanoplus bruneri'', known generally as the Bruner's spur-throat grasshopper or Bruner's locust, is a species of spur-throated grasshopper in the family Acrididae Acrididae are the predominant family of grasshoppers, comprising some 10,000 ...

'' – Bruner's spur-throat grasshopper * ''

Melanoplus confusus ''Melanoplus confusus'', known generally as pasture grasshopper, is a species of short-horned grasshopper in the subfamily Melanoplinae The Melanoplinae are a subfamily of grasshoppers in the family Acrididae. They are distributed across the H ...

'' – pasture grasshopper * ''

Melanoplus dawsonii __NOTOC__ ''Melanoplus'' is a large genus of grasshoppers. They are the typical large grasshoppers (and in some cases migratory "locusts") in North America. A common name is spur-throat grasshoppers (also "spurthroat" or "spur-throated grasshop ...

'' – Dawson's grasshopper * ''

Melanoplus devastator ''Melanoplus devastator'', the devastating grasshopper, is a species of spur-throated grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is found in North America. Subspecies These three subspecies belong to the species ''Melanoplus devastator'': * ''Mel ...

'' – devastating grasshopper * '' Melanoplus differentialis'' – differential grasshopper * ''

Melanoplus femurrubrum ''Melanoplus femurrubrum'', the red-legged grasshopper, is a species of grasshopper belonging to the genus ''Melanoplus''. It is one of the most common grasshoppers found in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. This grasshopper is frequently us ...

'' – red-legged grasshopper * ''

Melanoplus foedus ''Melanoplus foedus'', the striped sand grasshopper, is a species of spur-throated grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is found in North America. Subspecies These three subspecies belong to the species ''Melanoplus foedus'': * ''Melanoplus ...

'' – striped sand grasshopper * '' Melanoplus foxi'' Hebard, 1923 * '' Melanoplus forcipatus'' * '' Melanoplus gladstoni'' – Gladston's (spur-throat) grasshopper * '' Melanoplus infantilis'' – little spur-throat grasshopper * '' Melanoplus keeleri'' – Keeler's spur-throat grasshopper * '' Melanoplus kennicotti'' – Kennicott grasshopper * '' Melanoplus lakinus'' – Lakin grasshopper * '' Melanoplus ludivinae'' Fontana, Buzzetti & Marino-Perez, 2011 * '' Melanoplus mixes'' Fontana, Buzzetti & Marino-Perez, 2011 (2011). New Acrididae from Oaxaca State in Mexico (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Acrididae: Ommatolampinae, Melanoplinae). ''Zootaxa'' 2862: 39–55. * '' Melanoplus nossi''– Noss' spur throat grasshopper * '' Melanoplus oaxacae'' Fontana, Buzzetti & Marino-Perez, 2011 * '' Melanoplus occidentalis'' – flabellate grasshopper * ''

Melanoplus packardii ''Melanoplus packardii'', known generally as the "Packard's grasshopper", is a species of spur-throated grasshoppers in the family Acrididae Acrididae are the predominant family of grasshoppers, comprising some 10,000 of the 11,000 species of ...

'' – Packard's grasshopper * '' Melanoplus punctulatus'' – pine tree spur-throat grasshopper * '' Melanoplus quercicola'' * '' Melanoplus rugglesi'' – Nevada sage grasshopper * ''

Melanoplus sanguinipes ''Melanoplus sanguinipes'', known generally as migratory grasshopper, is a species of spur-throated grasshopper in the family Acrididae. Other common names include the lesser migratory grasshopper and red-legged grasshopper. It is found in the ...

'' – migratory grasshopper * '' Melanoplus scudderi'' – Scudder's short-winged grasshopper * †''

Melanoplus spretus The Rocky Mountain locust (''Melanoplus spretus'') is an extinct species of grasshopper that ranged through the western half of the United States and some western portions of Canada with large numbers seen until the end of the 19th century. Sight ...

'' – Rocky Mountain locust (

: 1902) * '' Melanoplus stonei'' – Stone's grasshopper * '' Melanoplus viridipes'' – green-legged grasshopper * '' Melanoplus walshii'' – Walsh's short-wing grasshopper * ''

Melanoplus washingtonius ''Melanoplus washingtonius'', the Washington short-wing grasshopper, is a species of spur-throated grasshopper in the family Acrididae Acrididae are the predominant family of grasshoppers, comprising some 10,000 of the 11,000 species of the en ...

'' Two-striped Grasshopper.jpg, Two-striped grasshopper (''

'') Grasshopper_at_MGSP.jpg, Differential grasshopper ('' Melanoplus differentialis'') Red-legged_Grasshopper.jpg, Red-legged Grasshopper (''

'')

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * (2004): ''Garden Insects of North America: The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs''. Princeton University Press.

External links

Fact Sheets for Assorted North American Grasshoppers

Distribution maps for many ''Melanoplus'' species

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20100305215238/http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/bulletins/l-5201.html Grasshoppers and Their Control Texas A&M University {{Authority control Acrididae genera Melanoplinae Taxa named by Carl Stål

Selected species

See also

References

External links