Melanoplus sanguinipes

Definition

A species of spur-throated grasshopper in the family Acrididae, order Orthoptera, native to North America and the Caribbean. One of the most economically significant grasshopper pests in North America, capable of long-distance migratory flight and outbreak population dynamics that damage cereal crops, forage grasses, and range vegetation. Adults typically show reddish or pinkish hind tibiae, a diagnostic field character reflected in the common name "red-legged grasshopper." The species includes several described subspecies (e.g., M. s. sanguinipes, M. s. atlanis, M. s. defectus, M. s. vulturnus) with variable geographic ranges and morphologies.

Etymology

From Greek melano- (black) + ploos (ploiōs, ribbed or folded), referring to dark longitudinal markings on the pronotum; sanguinipes from Latin sanguineus (bloody, blood-red) + pes (foot), for the red hind legs.

Example

In outbreak years, Melanoplus sanguinipes swarms may migrate hundreds of kilometers downwind from breeding grounds in the northern Great Plains, causing defoliation of wheat and barley fields across multiple U.S. states and Canadian provinces.

Synonyms

• Migratory grasshopper
• lesser migratory grasshopper
• red-legged grasshopper

Related Terms

• Melanoplus
• Acrididae
• Orthoptera
• spur-throated grasshopper
• grasshopper outbreak
• Entomopoxvirus
• melanization

Usage Notes

The common name "migratory grasshopper" is shared with several other Melanoplus species and related genera; precise identification requires examination of male genitalia or use of regional keys. Subspecies boundaries remain taxonomically fluid, and some populations show clinal variation in coloration and size rather than discrete geographic segregation. In pest management literature, "migratory grasshopper" often refers specifically to this species rather than to migratory behavior in general.