Red-legged Grasshopper

Melanoplus femurrubrum

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Caelifera
Family: Acrididae
Subfamily: Melanoplinae
Tribe: Melanoplini
Genus: Melanoplus
Species: femurrubrum

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Melanoplus femurrubrum: /mɛˈlænoʊˌpləs ˌfɛmərˈruːbrəm/

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

Images

Melanoplus femurrubrum P1320790a by
xpda. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Melanoplus femurrubrum by Gilles Gonthier. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Melanoplus femurrubrum P1110079a by
xpda. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Melanoplus femurrubrum 20070903 by Gilles Gonthier. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Melanoplus femurrubrum Zion National Park by Leyo. Used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 ch license.

Melanoplus femurrubrum Zion National Park crop by Leyo. Used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 ch license.

Summary

Melanoplus femurrubrum, or the red-legged grasshopper, is a common species throughout North America, often studied as a model organism in ecological research due to their abundance and behavioral responses to environmental changes.

Physical Characteristics

Medium-sized grasshopper, males measure 1.7 cm (0.67 in) – 2.4 cm (0.94 in), females are 1.8 cm (0.71 in) – 3.0 cm (1.2 in) long. Reddish-brown back, greenish-yellow belly, and red hind tibiae. Wings typically extend beyond the abdomen tip. Males have an enlarged abdomen with a U-shaped sub-genital plate.

Identification Tips

Best identified by the enlarged male abdomen and U-shaped subgenital plate. The hind femur usually exhibits a plain to herringbone pattern. The coloration can vary significantly among individuals, including grayish, yellowish, orange, pink, purplish, or even blue.

Habitat

Varied habitats throughout North America, preferring grasslands and areas with thick vegetation. Commonly found in disturbed habitats and old fields.

Distribution

Most of North America, from the Arctic to southern areas, absent only in regions that are too dry or high in elevation.

Diet

Mixed-feeding herbivore, consuming shrubs, forbs, and grasses. Diet can vary seasonally and includes common agricultural crops such as soybeans, alfalfa, wheat, and barley.

Life Cycle

Undergoes incomplete metamorphosis with three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. Eggs are laid in soil in autumn and hatch in spring; nymphs molt five to seven times before becoming adults.

Reproduction

Mature females deposit eggs in the top 2 cm of the soil during autumn. They are univoltine, having one generation per growing season, but can have multiple generations in southern regions.

Predators

Predatory spiders such as Pisaurina mira, Rabidosa rabida, and Phidippus rimator. Each spider occupies different microhabitats.

Ecosystem Role

Plays a significant role in grassland ecosystems as a herbivore, contributing to plant population dynamics and serving as prey for various predators.

Economic Impact

Can become a pest in gardens and agricultural crops, particularly grains and herbaceous plants.