White Sands locustid - Trimerotropis undescribed-species-b

Undescribed species. Fairly sure it's the same

I figured "what the heck". It'll be fun to show them off on BugGuide, so I posted photos of the adults. And, who knows, maybe some other people have found them too?

Moved from Band-winged Grasshoppers.

… David J. Ferguson, 27 August, 2008 - 7:29pm

Never answered that last question

Yep, I'm the same guy. Anyway, I've got some news on this one (I think it's the same anyway). I found populations on gypsum along the Pecos and near Willard that are related to Trimerotropis latifasciata, but much smaller, and also look a great deal like Spharagemon campestris. As far as I can tell they are a new species. I haven't checked White Sands yet, but it looks like the same critter, and I think it's an udescribed species endemic to gypsum and perhaps endemic to New Mexico. I don't have any nymphs to compare, but adults (mostly a bit darker), have pretty much the same pattern and proportions.

… David J. Ferguson, 25 July, 2008 - 11:48pm

White Sands locustid

Such a young little thing, that it's hard to say. However, I'm thinking it is probably Trimerotropis maritima citrina. Now I'm going to have to run down to White Sands and have a look!

… David J. Ferguson, 29 August, 2007 - 5:24pm

So you're an entomologist on the side?

At least I assume you're the same Dave Ferguson of Sphaeralcea & Phemeranthus fame. I haven't been out to White Sands in the last few weeks, but there are certainly plenty of grasshoppers all over southern NM at the moment. Another interesting (at least, I haven't seen it before and it looks somewhat unusual) orthopteran I've seen in a couple places recently is Arethaea.

… Patrick Alexander, 29 August, 2007 - 7:07pm

Awesome!

What a great image, Patrick! This will be one of the band-winged locust nymphs, subfamily Oedopodinae. I can't tell what genus.

… Eric R. Eaton, 22 February, 2006 - 11:17am

Thanks!

BTW, if it helps, here are the oedoponine genera at White Sands according to Stroud (1950; names double-checked in the ITIS database):

Anconia
Derotmena
Spharagemon
Trimerotropis
Xanthippus

Patrick Alexander
http://boechera.nmsu.edu/~paalexan/

… Patrick Alexander, 22 February, 2006 - 12:13pm