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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids (Orthoptera) » Grasshoppers (Caelifera) » Pygmy Mole 'Crickets' (Tridactylidae) » Ellipes

Genus Ellipes

Classification · Other Common Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · See Also · Print References · Works Cited

Ellipes minuta (Scudder) - Ellipes gurneyi

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids)

Suborder Caelifera (Grasshoppers)

Family Tridactylidae (Pygmy Mole 'Crickets')

Genus Ellipes

Other Common Names

Smaller Sand Cricket (E. minuta)

Numbers

6 described species in the U.S.

Size

4-5 mm

Identification

Ellipes is small (4-5 mm), compared to 6-10 mm for Neotridactylus, and its hind tarsi are absent; present, with one segment in Neotridactylus (1).

Range

E. californicus Günther, 1985 - occurs in California (Anza Borrego), and Baja California Norte (Mexico)

E. deyrupi Woo, 2021 - occurs in central Florida (northern Lake Wales Ridge)

E. eisneri Deyrup, 2005 occurs in central Florida (Brooksville Ridge).

E. gurneyi Günther, 1977 occurs in California and apparently most of the southern U.S.

E. minuta Scudder, 1863 is widespread in eastern and central North America.

E. monticolus Günther, 1977 occurs in mountains of the southwestern U.S.

Habitat

Sandy areas with scattered vegetation, usually along water. The Florida endemic species are found in patches of open sand in dry scrub and sandhill habitats.

See Also

Neotridactylus

Print References

Helfer, pp. 325-326, fig. 518--Tridactylus (Ellipes) minutus (1)

Capinera, Field Guide to Grasshoppers, p. 152, plate 33 (2)

Bland, p. 133--photo of specimens, Ellipes gurneyi, E. minutus (3)

Günther, Kurt K. A New Pygmy Mole Grasshopper from California and Baja California, Mexico (Orthoptera: Tridactylidae). Pan-Pacific Entomologist. Vol.61(2), 1985, pp.139-145. (Full Text)

Works Cited

1.	How to Know the Grasshoppers, Cockroaches, and Their Allies Jacques R. Helfer. 1962. Wm. C. Brown Company.

2.	Field Guide To Grasshoppers, Katydids, And Crickets Of The United States John L. Capinera, Ralph D. Scott, Thomas J. Walker. 2004. Cornell University Press.

3.	Orthoptera of Michigan Roger Bland. 2003. Michigan State University Extension.

Contributed by Cotinis on 5 March, 2006 - 5:24am
Additional contributions by Hartmut Wisch, Bbarnd, Aaron Schusteff, ceiseman, metrioptera
Last updated 27 September, 2021 - 9:33pm

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