Appalachia arcana

Distinguished by its short wings (rendering it flightless), red undersides of the femora, and restriction to Michigan bogs. The combination of flightlessness, lack of song, and specific bog habitat separates it from other Melanoplinae grasshoppers in the region.

Short-winged grasshopper. Male brownish gray with a stripe down the back. Both sexes have femora with red undersides.

Sphagnum bogs surrounded by jack pine (Pinus banksiana) trees. Requires wetland conditions with acidic peat moss substrate.

Endemic to Michigan, United States. The only grasshopper species with a range restricted entirely to this state.

Breeding occurs in September. Activity period likely extends through late summer and early autumn.

Does not sing or fly. Flightlessness due to short wing structure. Likely secretive in habits given common name and bog habitat specialization.

• Other Melanoplinae grasshoppersA. arcana differs in being flightless, silent, and restricted to Michigan bogs; most related species have functional wings and broader distributions

• endemic
• flightless
• bog specialist
• silent
• Michigan

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