Grass-specialist
Guides
Anisostena ariadne
Anisostena ariadne is a species of hispine leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, first described by Newman in 1841. Adults measure 4.6–5.3 mm in length and are characterized by black elytra with a purple iridescent hue. The species has been documented feeding on switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). It is widely distributed across the eastern and central United States, with records from 18 states and the District of Columbia.
Blissus
chinch bugs
Blissus is a genus of true bugs (Hemiptera: Blissidae) comprising approximately 27 species, commonly known as chinch bugs in North America. Several species are significant agricultural pests: B. leucopterus (true chinch bug) attacks cereal crops including wheat, corn, and sorghum; B. occiduus (western chinch bug) damages warm-season turfgrasses, particularly buffalograss and zoysiagrass; and B. insularis (southern chinch bug) is a major pest of St. Augustine grass. These species exhibit strong host preferences for grasses and can cause substantial economic damage through phloem feeding.
Boopedon nubilum
ebony grasshopper, black-males grasshopper, plains boopie
Boopedon nubilum is a large slant-faced grasshopper inhabiting western North American grasslands. Males are strikingly black with functional wings, while females are large, pale brown, and typically flightless. The species is a specialized grass feeder with documented food preferences that vary geographically. At high densities, it becomes a significant pest of rangeland forage, particularly in the southern mixedgrass and desert prairies of Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas.
Flexamia huroni
Huron River Leafhopper
Flexamia huroni is a leafhopper species in the family Cicadellidae, described by Bess & Hamilton in 1999. It belongs to the genus Flexamia, a group of leafhoppers known for their specialized host plant associations with grasses. The species is named after the Huron River in Michigan, where it was first collected. Like other members of the genus, it likely exhibits strong ecological dependence on specific grass host plants.
leafhoppercicadellidaedeltocephalinaeparalimniniflexamiagrass-specialistmichigan-endemicauchenorrhynchahemipterainsectaarthropodaanimaliatrue-bugplanthopper-relative1999-descriptionbesshamiltonhuronihuron-riverusanorth-americagrassland-insecthost-specificpoorly-knownrareuncommondata-deficientgbifcatalogue-of-lifencbiinaturalisttaxonspeciesacceptedhexapodacicadomorphaclypeatamembracoideaparalimninaflexamia-huronibess-&-hamilton1999exact-matchaccepted-namecanonical-namescientific-nameauthorshiprankstatusmatchedtaxonomyclassificationeukaryotametazoadistributionmichiganobservations0wikipedianonepreferred-common-namehuron-river-leafhoppertrue-bugsgroupkingdomphylumclassorderfamilygenusauthorityiptintegrated-publishing-toolkitbiodiversity-data-journalzookeysnature-conservationcomparative-cytogeneticsopen-accessopen-accessjournalpublicationdatasetspecimentypenomenclatural-typeherbariumuniversity-of-granadaspainfungilichensagaricalescortinariusantonio-ortegamediterraneanfranceitalyimage-collectioncolección-de-imágenes-de-los-tipos-nomenclaturales-de-hongoslíquenesmusgos-y-algasgdagdacvizosoquesada2015doi10.3897bdj3e5204new-speciesnew-jersey-pine-barrensmuhlenbergia-torreyanapinebarren-smokegrassthreatened-speciesandrew-hicksmuseum-of-natural-historyuniversity-of-coloradogerry-moorenatural-resources-conservation-servicegreensboronculi-lorimerbrooklyn-botanic-gardenf.-whitcombirobert-whitcombmicrobiologyornithologyecologyhost-plantwarming-climatehuman-activitieszookeys-51169-79zookeys.511.9572roundwormnematodeantarcticamblydorylaimus-isokaryonipararhyssocolpus-paradoxusbulgariascanning-electron-microscopysemmaritime-antarcticantarctic-islandslip-regionspearvulvapostembryonic-developmentmolecular-analysesdorylaimidaelshishkalazarovaradoslavovhristovpeneva25-68zookeys.511.9793anidiv2bulgarian-academy-of-sciencesnational-scientific-fundoctocoralokinawajapannanipora-kamurailiving-fossilblue-coralhelioporaaragonite-calcium-carbonateskeletonscleractinianssoft-coralheliporacealithotelestidaeepiphaxumdeep-seashallow-coral-reefzamami-islandnational-parkmiyazakireimer1-23zookeys.511.9432non-biting-midgechironomusch.-bernensisnorth-caucasusrussiacaucasian-populationseuropesiberiakaryotypemorphologymouthpartslarvaechromosomegenotypic-combinationsmineralizationeutrophicationkarmokovpolukonovasinichkinatembotov-institute-of-ecology-of-mountain-territoriessaratov-state-medical-universitycomparative-cytogenetics-9281-297compcytogen.v9i3.4519sea-turtlerescue-centrefirst-aid-stationloggerheadgreen-turtlecaretta-carettachelonia-mydasbycatchmortalitygreecemigrationsexual-maturityullmannstachowitschuit-the-arctic-university-of-norwaynature-conservation-1045-69natureconservation.10.4890regional-activity-centre-for-specially-protected-areasporcupinecoendou-ichilluslower-urubambaperucanopy-bridgepipelinenatural-gasarborealcamera-trapdwarf-porcupineiquitos770ggregorylundezamora-mezacarrasco-ruedarepsol-exploración-perúzookeys-509109-121zookeys.509.9821antprionopeltamadagascarseychellessubterraneanleaf-litterdracula-anthemolymphlarval-hemolymph-feedingoophagymadagascar-biodiversity-centeroversonfisherzookeys-507115-150zookeys.507.9303itobillenmasukospideranelosimussubsocialcobweb-spidertheridiidaedeforestationbiodiversity-hotspotagnarssonuniversity-of-vermontsmithsonian-national-museum-of-natural-historywallacehuxleybuffonhookerlamarckdarwinmoramoraeriophyoid-miteacarixinjiangchinarosaceaeparacolomerusgallji-wei-liwangxuezhangzookeys-50897-111zookeys.508.8940shihezi-universitygrasshopperwyomingmelanoplusmelanoplinaeacrididaetetrigidaegomphocerniaeoedipodinaecyrtacanthacridinaedistribution-atlasfield-guidewgiswyoming-grasshopper-information-systemkeycapinerasechristhebardhelferscudderblatchleythomassayharrisdegeerbrunersaussuregirarddodgewalkerfieberfabriciusservillemcneilltinkhamburmeisterhaldemanbig-horn-mountainsblack-hillsgladstonindigensinfantilisdodgeioregonensismarshalliyellowstone-national-parksagebrushpineelevationshortgrass-prairiemixedgrass-prairieforbgrasseconomic-damagerangelandbenefitoverwinteregghatchadultlate-summeraugustoctoberjunelife-cyclefood-habitsizecollectionsurveyunderreportedcommonendemicrestricted-rangeforest-openinggrassymoderate-elevationlargersmallereastwestunited-statesamericanorthsouthcentralrangeextentlimitedrestrictedabundantpopulationdensityoccurrencepresenceabsencehabitatenvironmentconditionaltitudetopographyterrainvegetationplantshrubtreeforestopeningmeadowprairiesteppesavannawoodlanddrawslopeaspectsoilsubstratemoisturetemperatureclimateweatherseasonphenologytimingactivitynymphemergemoltdevelopgrowreproducemateovipositdiegenerationvoltinismunivoltinebivoltinemultivoltinesemivoltinediapauseaestivationhibernationdispersalmovementbehaviorhabitactionfeedingdietfoodhostassociationrelationshipinteractionspecialistgeneralistmonophagyoligophagypolyphagyherbivoredetritivorepredatorparasitoidscavengereconomic-importancepestbeneficialneutraldamagecontrolmanagementconservationthreatenedendangeredvulnerablesecureunknownglobal-biodiversity-information-facilityesbiodiversity-image-portalspanish-collectionstype-specimenlichenantarcticabernensisliyellowstonePhoetaliotes nebrascensis
large-headed grasshopper, largeheaded grasshopper, red-nosed grasshopper, big head, large-headed locust
Phoetaliotes nebrascensis is a medium-sized, slim spur-throated grasshopper distinguished by its disproportionately large head relative to body size. It is a dominant species in North American tallgrass prairie and common in lush patches of mixedgrass prairie. The species exhibits wing dimorphism: most adults have short, non-functional wings, while a small percentage possess long wings enabling flight. It feeds almost exclusively on grasses, an unusual trait among spur-throated grasshoppers.
Porpomiris
Porpomiris is a genus of plant bugs in the family Miridae, established by Berg in 1883. The genus contains at least three described species: Porpomiris campinensis, Porpomiris curtulus, and Porpomiris picturatus. One species, P. curtulus, has been documented as a specialist on switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), indicating the genus may include grass-associated species.