Saltbush
Guides
Aeoloplides
Saltbush Grasshoppers
Aeoloplides is a genus of spur-throated grasshoppers comprising approximately nine described species. Members are commonly known as saltbush grasshoppers, reflecting their documented association with saltbush-dominated habitats. The genus belongs to the subfamily Melanoplinae within family Acrididae. Species within this genus occur in western North America, with records from Colorado, Wyoming, and surrounding states.
Aeoloplides chenopodii
Colorado Plateaus Saltbush Grasshopper
Aeoloplides chenopodii is a spur-throated grasshopper in the family Acrididae, known as the Colorado Plateaus Saltbush Grasshopper. The species is native to western North America and is associated with saltbush habitats. It was described by Bruner in 1894 under the basionym Pezotettix chenopodii. The species is considered to be probably present in Wyoming along the lower Green River, though it was not documented in the 1988-2018 Wyoming survey.
Aeoloplides elegans
elegant saltbush grasshopper
Aeoloplides elegans, the elegant saltbush grasshopper, is a species of spur-throated grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is found in North America, with distribution records from New Mexico. Like other members of the genus Aeoloplides, it is associated with saltbush habitats. The species was described by Scudder in 1897.
Aeoloplides minor
Little Saltbush Grasshopper
Aeoloplides minor, commonly known as the little saltbush grasshopper, is a species of spur-throated grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is native to North America, with confirmed records from Colorado and Nevada. The species is a member of the genus Aeoloplides, which includes other saltbush-associated grasshoppers. It is among the less economically significant grasshopper species in western North America.
Aeoloplides rotundipennis
Rio Grande saltbush grasshopper
Aeoloplides rotundipennis, the Rio Grande saltbush grasshopper, is a spur-throated grasshopper in the family Acrididae. The species was described by Wallace in 1955 and is native to North America. It is closely related to other saltbush-feeding grasshoppers in the genus Aeoloplides, including A. chenopodii, A. tenuipennis, and A. turnbulli.
Aeoloplides tenuipennis
narrow-winged saltbush grasshopper, narrow-winged bush grasshopper
A spur-throated grasshopper specialized on chenopod plants, particularly saltbushes (Atriplex species). It inhabits arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it feeds on plants often considered noxious weeds, including Russian thistle (Salsola tragus). The species is generally regarded as beneficial or innocuous in rangeland settings rather than a crop pest.
Asphondylia atriplicicola
Saltbush Blister Gall Midge
Asphondylia atriplicicola is a gall midge in the family Cecidomyiidae that induces blister galls on saltbush (Atriplex species). Like other members of the genus Asphondylia, this species manipulates host plant tissue to form protective galls within which its larvae develop. The specific epithet 'atriplicicola' directly references its association with Atriplex, the saltbush genus. The genus Asphondylia is notable for inducing galls on diverse host plants, with different species specializing on particular plant taxa including holly, creosote, and saltbush.
Asphondylia atriplicis
Tumor Stem Gall Midge
Asphondylia atriplicis is a gall midge in the family Cecidomyiidae that induces distinctive tumor-like stem galls on plants in the genus Atriplex (saltbushes). Like other Asphondylia species, the adult female deposits eggs into host plant tissue, and the developing larva stimulates the plant to form a protective gall structure that provides both shelter and nutrition. The specific epithet 'atriplicis' indicates its association with Atriplex hosts. The genus Asphondylia is notable for inducing galls on diverse plant families and for often harboring symbiotic fungi that may assist in gall formation or nutrition.
Asphondylia neomexicana
Fourwing Saltbush Woolly Gall Midge
Asphondylia neomexicana is a gall midge in the family Cecidomyiidae, first described by Cockerell in 1896. Like other members of its genus, this species induces distinctive woolly galls on host plants. The genus Asphondylia is notable for containing numerous species that manipulate plant growth to form protective structures for their developing larvae. Based on its specific epithet and the common name "Fourwing Saltbush Woolly Gall Midge," this species appears associated with fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens) or related Atriplex species in arid western North American habitats.
Hesperopsis libya
Mojave sootywing, Mohave sootywing, Great Basin sootywing, Lena sooty wing
A small skipper butterfly of the family Hesperiidae, found in arid regions of western North America. Adults have a wingspan of 22–32 mm and exhibit variable flight periods depending on latitude, with multiple generations in southern California and single generations in northern parts of the range. The species is tightly associated with saltbush (Atriplex) host plants in alkaline desert environments.