Genus Melanoplus

Pezotettix subgenus Melanoplus Stål, 1873, based on Acrydium femur-rubrum De Geer [=Melanoplus femurrubrum (De Geer, 1878) Scudder]

Melanoplus (Stål) Scudder, 1773

Aeoloplus Scudder, 1897, based on Caloptenus regalis G.M. Dodge [=Melanoplus regalis (Dodge) Bruner]

Bohemanella Rehn, 1950, based on Gryllus frigidus Boheman [= Melanoplus frigidus (Boheman) Hebard]

Author of name is Stål, 1873. From Greek melano dark, plus suffix -plus, meaning "clad in dark armor" (1) (Pests, Plagues and Politics--Michael Burgett, Oregon State University).

Arnett (2) mentions 239 North American species.

CAUTION: Please note that many of the species identifications are qualified. Positive identifications for many species can only be achieved by examining the male genitalia on an actual specimen. Images alone are usually not enough to reach a conclusion.

Small to relatively large, relatively smooth, most often brownish, grayish, yellowish, or greenish Spur-throat Grasshoppers (with a spur on the prosternum between bases of front legs), often with a wide dark band that extends back from the compound eyes. With face not strongly slanting, and vertex of head rounded in profile. Pronotum relatively smooth, and rounded from top into sides (sometimes a bit of a faint ridge in this location), with median carina a low raised line, but at least partly distinct. Wings varied in size and shape, but when fully developed with hind wings usually clear to bluish or yellowish and not distinctly patterned; tegmina, when long slender, rarely strongly patterned, but may have a pale stripe and/or rows of irregular small dark or light spots. Males with top edge of subgenital plate (viewed from side) distinctly and abruptly curving upward near base (as apposed to approximately straight).

Several related genera are similar, but most are distinctive enough to distinguish by appearance. Most similar looking are Paroxya (with a very long pronotum and long antennae), Aeoloplides (almost always found on plants of the Chenopodiaceae and with two narrow dark stripes on top middle of pronotum), Asemoplus (with the rear top edge of the pronotum distinctly concave in outline), Phoetaliotes (with a large head), and Oedaleonotus (very stout with lateral ridges at top sides of pronotum, and lower half of hind leg "knee" totally pale in color).

All of North America, and much of Eurasia. Apparently all species occur in North American, with only one or few ranging widely into and across Eurasia.

Most species favor herbaceous Dicots and sometimes wide-leaved Monocots too (such as Corn, Sorghum, Iris, etc.). Several species will use a wide range of plants, while others are restricted to (or strongly favor) plants in one or few families. Many species use almost exclusively Composites (family Asteraceae). A few feed primarily on Conifers. Some species can be serious agricultural pests, but most are not.

As currently defined, this is the most species rich genus of Orthoptera in North America. Several distinct groups of related species may be distinguished, but defining the limits of these groups can be problematic, and authors disagree somewhat on which species are related to which. Even so, it is likely that this genus will eventually be split into more than one. Some species are distinctive enough to easily identify on sight. Certain species groups (such as the Viridipes Group) are very different looking from most other species of Melanoplus. However, these are the exceptions; large numbers of species look very similar and differences are difficult to see without close examination. External parts of the end of the male abdomen are most often distinctly different between species, but sometimes internal genitalia must be examined to be sure. Females are often much more difficult to identify than males, and often photographs are not enough to make a certain identification. Length and form of wings often help with identification (but in some species wings vary in development), and some species have a distinctively shaped "spur" on the prosternum ("throat"), while others may have a distinctive feature shared by few other species, such as a bump under the thorax, a unique shape of some body part that is easy to observe, etc. Where an insect is found can be very useful information.

This genus contains many of the economically important species of Grasshoppers in North America, and some are of historic significance, such as the (presumed extinct) Melanoplus spretus, which before 1900 periodically swarmed across the mid-sections of the continent in plague proportion swarms, just to mysteriously (at least seemingly) vanish around 1910. Certain species can actually be considered beneficial due to preference for weedy species of plants, while most are locally occurring species of little economic importance.

Some groupings of species that share common features, and whose members might be confused are listed here, but this isn't even close to exhaustive, and any implied kinships may or may not be real. These are not taxonomic units, and they are not derived directly from other authors, but are compiled by David J. Ferguson. They do correspond loosely to some of the groups that have been outlined by others. Many of the species most likely to be observed are included in the groups listed below. There are many species not listed here, a majority of which are small to medium sized, rather dull of coloring, with short to very reduced wings.

Bowditchi Group (+ Cinereus & Herbaceus Groups of some authors) - Slender smallish to medium species, mostly grayish or dull brownish, but often tinted green or rich bluish gray and yellow. Wings long and slender; male furculae mostly nearly parallel, long (well over half of length of supra-anal plate); cerci slender, mostly tapering toward the tip (some narrowed in center with tip somewhat wider). Most are associated with woody Asteraceae and often sandy places. M. herbaceus is usually greenish and has been stated to be associated with Arrowweed in wet places. Includes: bowditchi, canonicus, cinereus, complanatipes, elongatus, flavidus, herbaceus, pictus,, etc. Quite likely several of these are regional variants of only a few species.

Femurrubrum Group (+ Mexicanus Gp.) - Mostly non-descript grayish, brownish, or greenish with yellowish below, smallish to medium in size, and average of build. Wings usually well-developed, tegmina overlapping when folded, but from shorter than abdomen to very long. Pronotum with metazona and area to it's front about equal in length. Male furculae well-developed, triangular, diverging. Male and female cerci mostly moderately wide and short, and roughly triangular (tapering toward usually blunt tip). M. fasciatus has long strap-like cerci. Male (and sometimes female) in many, not all species with a median lump on mesosternum. Includes: arizonae, borealis (incl. madeleineae), bruneri, dawsoni, devastator, fasciatus, femurrubrum (incl. propinquus), gaspesiensis, mexicanus, sanguinipes, spretus,, etc. These are often very difficult to tell apart, especially the females, some are probably varieties of one another.

Angustipennis Group (+ Packardii Gp.) - Mostly similar to previous in appearance or often "smoother" and shinier looking, mostly medium to large (for genus). Pronotum with metazona distinctly but not greatly shorter than part in front of it. Long-winged. Male furculae well-developed but much shorter than supragenital plate, slender, triangular, divergent in most. Male cerci mostly slender, rounded at tip, narrowed in middle. No bump on mesosternum. Many of the species favor sandy habitats. Includes: M. angustipennis (incl. impiger), bispinosus, fluviatilis, foedus, packardii, stonei, etc.

Bivittatus Group (+ Ponderosus, Clypeatus & Ponderosus Gp.) - These are relatively large (often "smooth" looking) species; with the male furculae vestigial at best; cerci large, approximately boot-shaped (or at least wide apically). Females of most have the 8th abdominal sternum prominently notched on each side at the rear margin (next to the front of the ovipositor). Pronotum with metazona distinctly shorter than the part ahead of it. Wings well-developed, covering most of but sometimes not reaching the tip of abdomen. Likely a natural grouping, except M. keeleri is the smallest and perhaps is not so closely related. Includes: M. bivittatus, clypeatus, differentialis, eumera, furcatus, pegasus, ponderosus, punctulatus, splendidus, sumachrasti, symmetricus, thompsoni, tunicae, yarrowii, keeleri, etc.

Nigrescens Group (+ Texanus Gp.) - Similar to and perhaps should be included with previous, but mostly somewhat smaller (still mostly larger than average for the genus), with wings usually from about as long as pronotum to little longer than pronotum + head, often with pale marginal stripes along the top. With male cercus widening beyond base and mostly somewhat curved up (but often less distinctly boot-shaped). Includes: M. alabamae, calidus, fransicanus, nigrescens, querneus, walshii, alexanderi, angularis, dakini, inconspicuus, oklahomae, texanus, warneri, etc.

Occidentalis Group (+ Discolor, Glaucipes & Keiferi Gp.) - Small to medium in size, relatively stocky; with usually well-developed wings varied in length but usually much longer than pronotum, often longer than abdomen, with tegmina overlapping above abdomen when folded; coloring varies with species; male furculae inconspicuous or very short and finger-like with wide bases; male cerci large, wide, appearing very roughly oval or reniform, and connected below center to one side. Includes: M. chimariki, cuneatus, discolor, glaucipes, keiferi, lithophilus, occidentalis, rugglesii, etc. Likely species in this group are not all closely related to one another, while some are likely not distinct species from one another.

Infantilis Group - Small, rarely over an inch; coloring usually grayish; tegmina slender, wings usually longer than abdomen. Male furculae short nubs. Male cerci wide at very base, remainder slender curving with tip pointing down and lobed at top of curve. Favoring cool northern or higher elevation grasslands. Includes: M. alpinus & M. infantilis.

Viridipes Group - Small with pale lower sides to head and pronotum, with wide near black band extending back from compound eye across upper part of sides of pronotum. Wings short, mostly equaling or shorter than pronotum. Front and middle femora green or at least distinctly greenish. Hind femur either green or distinctly cross-banded brown to black. Hind tibiae green to bluish. Eastern, mostly in weedy growth in openings or near edges of forest or woodland. Includes: M. acrophilus, beameri, benni, cherokee, deceptus, eurycercus, hubbelli, lilianae, longicornis, pachycercus, similis, sylvaticus, viridipes, and gracilis. Most are closely similar to one another, likely representing regional variants of few species, and resemble Appalachia, Booneacris, and Dendrotettix; however, M. gracilis is most different, and resembles Paroxya rather closely (except with short wings).

A few longer-winged species stand out as distinctive, relatively easy to recognize, but unique enough not to be particularly close to any other long-winged species. These more distinctive species include M. confusus, gladstoni, impudicus, kennicotti, regalis, etc. The males of these are easily recognized by external genitalia, but females of M. confusus, impudicus & kennicotti are rather average looking Melanoplus, and the last two and gladstoni are probably related to various short-winged species.