Subfamily Oedipodinae - Band-winged Grasshoppers

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Identification · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Orangewinged Grasshopper - Pardalophora phoenicoptera - male

Longhorn Band-Winged Grasshopper - Psinidia fenestralis

Pallid-winged grasshopper? - Trimerotropis pallidipennis

Band-winged Grasshopper - Trimerotropis - male

Unidentified Machaerocera species - Machaerocera

Crackling Forest Grasshopper nymph - Trimerotropis verruculata

Grasshopper - Chortophaga viridifasciata

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids)

Suborder Caelifera (Grasshoppers)

Family Acrididae (Short-horned Grasshoppers)

Subfamily Oedipodinae (Band-winged Grasshoppers)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Orthoptera Species File Online lists as Oedipodinae Thomas, C., 1872.

Identification

"American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico" (1), p. 171:

Most species of this subfamily, as may be deduced from the common name, have brightly colored hind wings with a marginal or sub-marginal band. The peg is absent between the front legs. Otherwise they look very much like the Spur-throated Grasshoppers. The pronotum has a median keel. A few species have clear hind wings. They make a crackling sound when they fly (crepitate).

Print References

"American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico" (1), p. 171.

Internet References

Grasshoppers of Florida--pdf file

Insects of Cedar Creek, lists members of this subfamily chronologically for Minnesota--very interesting.

Works Cited

1.	American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico By Ross H. Arnett

Contributed by Richard Leung on 11 March, 2005 - 6:43pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Tony D
Last updated 6 March, 2007 - 11:10am

probably closely related

Often you will see Stethophyma and related genera included within the Oedipodinae. They are included now by Daniel Otte in family Acrididae, Subfamily Acridinae, tribe Parapleurini Brunner von Wattenwyl. I still tend to think of them as Oedipodinae, albeit rather unusual ones. You can see this in the
Orthoptera Species File.

… David J. Ferguson, 6 October, 2007 - 1:18am

Genera similar to Oedipodinae, put in other subfamilies

Here are some genera that are rather similar to the Oedipodinae (Bandwing Grasshoppers) in appearance, habits and some in having colored hind wings. These have all been considered to be Oedipodinae by some authors in the past, but are put into other groups for various reasons. It is worth a check of these if you think you have a Bandwing Grasshopper, but it doesn't match anything in that subfamily.

Acrolophitus (includes Pedioscirtetes), Cibolacris, Xeracris (incl. Coniana), and Heliaula are placed in the Gomphocerinae (Slantface Grasshoppers) because the stridulatory file (a row if tiny prominences) are on the inner side of the hind femur instead of on the intercalary vein of the tegmina. Acrolophitus has colored hind wings, but the head is pointed, while the others have tinted clear hind wings, but otherwise look rather like Oedipodines. Heliaula is least similar to Oedipodinae on all counts, but has been included with them none-the-less. Acrolophitus in particular seems very different from other Gomphocerinae as well

Stridulatory files are lacking in females of some species.

Machaerocera mexicana is also an odd-ball, placed in Oedipodinae for now, but with a somewhat pointed head and no stridulatory file. It resembles Gomphocerinae in some respects.

The Lubber Grasshoppers (subfamily Romaleinae) are also similar to Oedipodinae, and some authors have considered them as such. However many Romaleinae have a spur between the front coxa (lacking in Oedipodinae) and most have an immovable spine at the inner tip of the hind tibia that is not found in most other groups. Also, they have structurally distinct genitalia, and as far as I know all lack the a stridulatory file. Among these Taeniopoda and Romalea have brightly colored wings, but are instantly recognizable. Spaniacris (which lacks the tibial spine mentioned) and Tyttotyle are very much like Oedipodinae in appearance, with clear to yellowish wings, and will be seen in the Mojave and Colorado Deserts.

Some breaking news, January, 2008
There is some molecular work (in press) that helps to clarify the relationship of Machaerocera mexicana. In this study, this species comes out as a close relative of Chortophaga, which would make it definitely a member of the Oedipodinae. Similar work which has included Stethophyma and other closely related genera supports placing that genus (group) clearly within the Oedipodinae as well, in fact as close relatives of the Old World genus Aiolopus. It will be fun to see more results as more such studies are undertaken. I would greatly like to see some of the other odd-ball genera (not just those from North America) included in such studies.

… David J. Ferguson, 11 November, 2007 - 3:32pm

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2008 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by Iowa State University Entomology.

Printer Friendly Version