Metator
McNeill, 1901
blue-legged grasshopper (for M. pardalinus)
Species Guides
2- Metator nevadensis
- Metator pardalinus(Pard Grasshopper)
Metator is a of band-winged grasshoppers in the Acrididae, established by McNeill in 1901. The genus contains at least two described : Metator nevadensis and Metator pardalinus. Species in this genus are large-bodied grasshoppers characteristic of western North American grasslands. M. pardalinus, commonly known as the blue-legged , has been documented in comparative studies with other large band-winged grasshoppers regarding nymphal development and growth patterns.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Metator: /ˈmɛtətɔr/
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Distribution
Western North America. Documented occurrence records include British Columbia, Colorado, and Nevada. in this are associated with grassland of the western United States and Canada.
Similar Taxa
- Hadrotettix trifasciatus (threebanded grasshopper)Both are large band-winged grasshoppers of western grasslands. M. pardalinus has been directly compared with H. trifasciatus in developmental studies, with M. pardalinus requiring five instars versus four in H. trifasciatus despite producing smaller .
More Details
Species composition
The contains at least two described : Metator nevadensis (Bruner, 1905) and Metator pardalinus (Saussure, 1884). M. pardalinus is commonly referred to as the blue-legged or 'pard grasshopper'.
Developmental characteristics
Comparative research on nymphal development has shown that M. pardalinus requires five instars to reach adulthood, unlike the related large band-winged grasshopper Hadrotettix trifasciatus which completes development in four instars. Despite having more instars, M. pardalinus produces smaller , attributed to lower stepwise growth rates (growth factor of 1.31 in hind length versus 1.43 in H. trifasciatus) and smaller initial nymph size.