Melanoplus
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| Melanoplus | ||||||||||||||||||
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 Melanoplus femurrubrum
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Many, see text. |
Melanoplus is the largest[verification needed] genus of grasshoppers. Many of the more notable agricultural pest grasshoppers belong here, including the Rocky Mountain locust, the most significant insect pest of the 19th century Great Plains but nowadays entirely extinct (Samways & Lockwood 1998). Many species of grasshoppers are as yet undescribed, and a good number of these will be grouped among the Melanoplus. New species are constantly being described, possibly in part because they speciate relatively quickly in isolated areas.
Melanoplus eat grasses of all kinds, as well as leafy and grassy agricultural crops and garden plants. They feed on the leaves, and sometimes fruit, flowers, and buds, as well as tree bark.
The largest grasshoppers of this genus can reach nearly two inches in length, but most are smaller. Some are intricately patterned and colorful, while others are drab.
[edit] Notable species
- Volusia grasshopper, Melanoplus adelogyrus
- Alpine grasshopper, Melanoplus alpinus
- Narrowwinged sand grasshopper, Melanoplus angustipennis
- Two-striped grasshopper, Melanoplus bivittatus
- Northern spurthroat grasshopper, Melanoplus borealis
- Sagebrush grasshopper, Melanoplus bowditchi
- Bruner spurthroat grasshopper, Melanoplus bruneri
- Pasture grasshopper, Melanoplus confusus
- Dawson grasshopper, Melanoplus dawsonii
- Devastating grasshopper, Melanoplus devastator
- Differential grasshopper, Melanoplus differentialis
- Red-legged grasshopper, Melanoplus femurrubrum
- Striped sand grasshopper, Melanoplus foedus
- Gladston grasshopper, Melanoplus gladstoni
- Little spurthroat grasshopper, Melanoplus infantilis
- Keeler's spurthroat grasshopper, Melanoplus keeleri
- Kennicott grasshopper, Melanoplus kennicotti
- Lakin grasshopper, Melanoplus lakinus
- Flabellate grasshopper, Melanoplus occidentalis
- Packard grasshopper, Melanoplus packardii
- Pine tree spurthroat grasshopper, Melanoplus punctulatus
- Nevada sage grasshopper, Melanoplus rugglesi
- Migratory grasshopper, Melanoplus sanguinipes
- Scudder's short-winged grasshopper, Melanoplus scudderi
- Rocky Mountain locust, Melanoplus spretus - extinct (1902)
- Green-legged grasshopper, Melanoplus viridipes
[edit] References
- Cranshaw, Whitney (2004): Garden Insects of North America: the ultimate guide to backyard bugs. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-09561-2
- Samways, M. J. & Lockwood, J. A. (1998): Orthoptera conservation: pests and paradoxes. Journal of Insect Conservation 2(3-4): 143–149. doi:10.1023/A:1009652016332 (HTML abstract)
