red-shanked grasshopper -- Xanthippus corallipes ?? - Xanthippus corallipes

New fact sheet link

Pfadt's Fact Sheets have been moved again, and can no longer be found at the "Wyoming web site" link above, though the first "USDA Fact Sheet" link is working again. For the moment they can also be found here.

The 'Orthoptera of the Northern Great Plains' can now be seen here

… David J. Ferguson, 25 September, 2015 - 12:01pm

The Grasshoppers of Wyoming

web site has moved, but the USDA fact sheet is the same as the one there, with the images reproduced slightly better. Here is the new link for the Wyoming web site (images even fuzzier after the move).

… David J. Ferguson, 25 August, 2009 - 5:32pm

Thanks David!

I added the link to Acrididae family page.

… Ted Kropiewnicki, 25 August, 2009 - 7:17pm

thanks

I missed that one. Have been trying to change all the related links, but they are scattered here, there and everywhere!

… David J. Ferguson, 26 August, 2009 - 11:32am

Moved

Moved from Montana Band-winged Grasshopper.

… Ted Kropiewnicki, 7 July, 2008 - 8:40am

red-shanked grasshopper

This is indeed S. corallipes. I think the proper subspecies might be buckelli, but the species is a bit different looking everywhere, and it is difficult to break it down below species. The broad flange on the lower surface of the hind femur is a good clue, and a solid deep red inner face of the hind femur is not often found in other species (especially this far northwest); however, X. corallipes is variable on the coloring of the inner femer. A beautiful specimen! Do you remember if the wings were yellow, orange or red? (just curious)

… David J. Ferguson, 27 August, 2007 - 6:37pm

X. corallipes leprosus male

I decided to follow up with subspecies names for anyone interested. This is X. corallipes ssp. leprosus.

Rehn and Hebard refered almost everything from the east side of the Continental Divide with the bright red inner femur to the subspecies latifascata. However, that "subspecies", which occurs primarily on the Great Plains, is usually larger and a bit more robust, wings reach further past the abdomen, and pattern is lighter with spots smaller and more widely separated. [The female in the thumbnail above is ssp. latifasciata.]

However, at higher elevations near and in the mountains, the insects change and tend to have shorter wings and darker coloring (sometimes orange or red instead of yellow wings as well). In Wyoming and southward these high elevation ones are called ssp. leprosus.

There is an extreme development of the high elevation type (dwarf, and females with very short wings) that is called "altivolus", and which is found mostly in Subalpine or even Alpine conditions.

The name "buckellii" is for northern specimens from west of the Continental Divide (Idaho, w. Montana, Oregon, Washington, etc.) with the inner femur usually with dark purplish to black markings, and usually not so bright (often orange, yellow, or buff). The rest of the coloration is often quite similar to the photo here.

This specimen is definitely NOT what is usually called X. montanus; however, there is a snaffu with the name "montanus". It was described from red-winged individuals from a place in Montana where buckellii or leprosus-like specimens of X. corallipes can be found, but where the slender yellow-winged insect of sandhills on the Great Plains and Colorado Plateaus is probably NOT found. So, the name montanus is probably a synonym of X. corallipes. However, this is mentioned only to point out the problems with the names, not to fix it (this is not the appropriate place do do that).

… David J. Ferguson, 29 August, 2007 - 10:03pm

Links on Xanthippus

The (not great) image at Grasshoppers of the Wyoming looks correct. USDA Fact Sheet, and Grasshoppers of Northern Great Plains--has some better photos linked at the bottom, e.g.,

Well, you probably saw those, but just in case not.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

… Cotinis, 21 July, 2005 - 5:30am

grasshopper id

Thanks for the good resources.
Dave

… David A Burke, 21 July, 2005 - 8:36pm