Spider-lily Eating Grasshopper II (not same specimen as first one) - Paroxya atlantica

After looking really closely at these photos,

I see that these are actually Paroxya. The shape of the insect is distinctly more slender than in most Melanoplus, and the pronotum is proportionately longer. The coloring alone can be a bit misleading. Sorry I added to that.

Moved from Melanoplus.

… David J. Ferguson, 19 November, 2009 - 5:50pm

Excellent ID

Thanks for looking at this closely and making the clutch ID of the genus. I will be collecting specimens if they are destroying the Hymenocallis anthesis event this year and sending them in for ID and will let you know by replying to your earlier thread. Thanks again!

… Michael R. Jenkins, 23 November, 2009 - 1:28pm

Melanoplus-Paroxya

Our State Insect guys came up with Melanoplus strumosus, but they said they needed a male because females are hard to ID. This new Paroxya ID, is it a native grasshopper? It chewed the flowers off of all of a couple of populations of state listed and rare Spider Lilies in the genus Hymenocallis. Paroxya is extremely interesting and I will collect many next year and submit to our guys and follow up with this. Thank you David, this is great.

… Michael R. Jenkins, 20 November, 2009 - 8:38am

The other one (the little one with short wings)

probably is Melanoplus strumosus, but this one definitely isn't the same thing. There are two species of Paroxya that are found over large parts of the eastern United States, and yes they are native to all of Florida. I don't know much of their habits, except that they tend to favor moist lush areas with lots of herbaceous growth, especially margins of marshes, streams, etc. Most of the "Spur-throat Grasshoppers" don't eat much in the way of grasses or sedges, but favor other hebaceous species, and for this one these flowers were apparently just the ticket. Paroxya is very closely related to Melanoplus and a few other genera. There are many species of this group (the Melanoplinae) in your region.

… David J. Ferguson, 23 November, 2009 - 1:16pm

Moved

Moved from ID Request.

… v belov, 24 September, 2009 - 9:47am

Looks like probably

Melanoplus femurrubrum, the southern subspecies propinquus; however, being female, there is a chance it is another species (perhaps M. sanguinipes). Definitely different from the little short-winged male.

… David J. Ferguson, 8 September, 2009 - 5:08pm

Thank You BugGuide

This is an excellent use of the internet. Thank you, very much for your most excellent responses!

… Michael R. Jenkins, 9 September, 2009 - 7:25am

Please do not link images

of different individuals. I am unlinking them all - since I've no idea if some are the same.

… margarethe brummermann, 8 September, 2009 - 9:23am

These two shots are definitely the same

individual, but not the little short-winged one.

… David J. Ferguson, 8 September, 2009 - 5:12pm