Romaleidae

Definition

A family of large, flightless or weakly flying grasshoppers (Orthoptera) commonly called lubber grasshoppers, distributed in the Americas. Members are characterized by robust bodies, bright aposematic coloration, polyphagous feeding habits, and limited dispersal ability. The family was erected by Pictet & Saussure in 1887 with Romalea as the type genus.

Etymology

From Romalea, the type genus (Greek rhoma 'strength' + lea perhaps 'meadow' or related to grasshopper nomenclature), + -idae (family suffix).

Example

The eastern lubber grasshopper Romalea microptera (family Romaleidae) is a familiar pest in the southeastern United States, where its conspicuous black-and-yellow warning coloration advertises chemical defenses sequestered from host plants.

Synonyms

• lubber grasshoppers (common name)

Related Terms

• Romalea
• Orthoptera
• Caelifera
• Grasshopper
• aposematic coloration
• polyphagy
• flightlessness
• Bactrophorinae
• Romaleinae

Usage Notes

The common name 'lubber' derives from nautical slang for a clumsy person, referencing these grasshoppers' large size, awkward movement, and poor flight capability. Romaleidae is sometimes treated as a subfamily (Romaleinae) within Acrididae in alternative classifications, though most modern sources recognize it at family rank. The family is distinguished from Acrididae (short-horned grasshoppers) by morphological and behavioral traits including reduced wing development and distinctive genitalic characters.