Horse Lubber

Taeniopoda eques

Classification

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Taeniopoda eques: //ˌtiːniːəˈpoʊdə ˈɛkwiːz//

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Images

Summary

Taeniopoda eques, also known as the horse lubber grasshopper, is a large and distinctive black grasshopper found primarily in arid regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico. Its unique coloration serves as a warning to predators, and it features distinctive behaviors for thermoregulation and defense.

Physical Characteristics

Large and shiny, mostly black; tegmina with yellow veins and variable contrasting yellow to orange stripes; face sometimes mostly yellow or orange; antennae yellow to red-orange with black rings and tip; hindwings red with black borders. Pale-colored forms may be greenish, yellowish, or orangey, while dark individuals are common. Adults typically measure 4–7.1 cm for females and 3.3–5.8 cm for males, with weights of up to around 9 g and 3 g respectively.

Identification Tips

Look for the shiny black body with contrasting yellow markings. The distinctive bright red hindwings and size can help distinguish it from similar species like Romalea microptera, which is mostly lighter in color and has a low pronotal crest.

Habitat

Arid and semi-arid brush, grassland, and oak savanna; commonly found among Acacia, Mimosa, Ephedra, and Yucca shrubs; endemic to the Chihuahuan Desert and adjacent areas.

Distribution

Found in southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and west Texas, extending into Mexico from the US border through various regions including the Mexican Plateau, Sierra Madre Oriental, and along the Pacific coastal region south to Guerrero.

Diet

Polyphagous; feeds on foliage, flowers, and seed pods of low-growing desert annuals. Known to consume spider silk, feces, carrion of insects and small vertebrates; scavenging behavior is more common in females.

Life Cycle

Univoltine, producing one brood per year. Eggs are laid in subterranean pods; young hatch synchronously with the onset of summer rains, and the larvae undergo five molts to reach maturity within about 40 days.

Reproduction

Females lay approximately 50 eggs in a single pod, deposited 4-8 cm deep into the soil; they lay pods at 18-day intervals until killed by frost in November; mating occurs about 12 days after maturity.

Predators

Although vertebrates avoid T. eques, predatory invertebrates attack hatching and molting nymphs. Ants are known predators of the vulnerable larvae.

Ecosystem Role

As a large herbivore, T. eques influences plant community structure and serves as prey to some higher trophic levels despite its toxicity.

Collecting Methods

  • Hand collection
  • Sweep netting

Preservation Methods

  • Ethanol preservation
  • Drying specimens

Similar Taxa

Misconceptions

Often confused with lighter-colored individuals of similar species due to their overlapping geographic ranges in some regions.

Tags

  • grasshopper
  • orthoptera
  • Romaleidae
  • Taeniopoda
  • eques