Hesperotettix speciosus

(Scudder, 1872)

Showy Grasshopper, Handsome Purple-striped Grasshopper, Western Green Grasshopper

Hesperotettix speciosus is a spur-throated grasshopper in the Acrididae. The is broadly distributed across the Great Plains of North America, with a notable disjunct discovered in the Black Belt Prairie of Alabama representing a significant eastward range extension. It is characterized by bright purplish-red striping and relatively short wings that limit capability.

Hesperotettix speciosus by (c) Jay Pruett, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jay Pruett. Used under a CC-BY license.Hesperotettix speciosus P1490753a by xpda. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.Hesperotettix speciosus P1490754a by xpda. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Hesperotettix speciosus: /ˌhɛspəroʊˈtɛtɪks spiːˈʃioʊsəs/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Bright purplish-red stripes along the pronotum and hind . Wings are shorter than the , particularly in robust females, distinguishing it from more dispersive . The species belongs to the spur-throated grasshopper group ( Melanoplinae), characterized by a projection on the throat.

Images

Habitat

Great Plains prairie including Nebraska sandhills, xeric soils, and central plains rangeland on loess soils. Disjunct documented in Black Belt Prairie remnants of Sumter County, Alabama, characterized by tall grassland with Poaceae and Asteraceae on calcareous loamy soils derived from Cretaceous Selma chalk.

Distribution

Primary range: midwestern Great Plains from Montana east to Minnesota, south to New Mexico and Texas. Disjunct : Sumter County, Alabama (Black Belt Prairie), approximately 645 km east of previous easternmost record in Boone County, Arkansas. Additional outlier records: Lake County, Michigan and Mason County, Illinois.

Diet

Plants within the Asteraceae , including common sunflower (Helianthus annuus), prairie sunflower (Helianthus petiolaris), marshelder (Iva xanthifolia), and western ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya).

Host Associations

  • Ambrosia psilostachya - food plantobserved in Alabama disjunct
  • Helianthus annuus - food plantfrom Great Plains literature
  • Helianthus petiolaris - food plantfrom Great Plains literature
  • Iva xanthifolia - food plantfrom Great Plains literature

Behavior

Limited capability due to wings shorter than the , especially in robust females. Collected using flush-and-capture methods as individuals disperse away from approaching collectors.

Similar Taxa

More Details

Distribution significance

The Alabama is likely a relict from Pleistocene-era grassland expansion rather than recent , given the substantial geographic isolation and limited capability of the .

Conservation context

The discovery in a privately-owned prairie remnant highlights the importance of conservation on private lands for maintaining grassland biodiversity.

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Sources and further reading