Orthoptera of North Carolina

Family (Alpha):

View	Acrididae Members:	NC Records
Metaleptea brevicornis (Johannson, 1763) - Clipped-Wing Grasshopper

Female

Male

Taxonomy

Family: Acrididae	Subfamily: Acridinae	Tribe: Hyalopterygini	Synonym: Tryaxilis brevicornis
Comments: One of two species in this genus and the only one that occurs in North America north of Mexico (Cigliano et al., 2018)

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Capinera et al. (2004)	Online Photographs: BugGuide, OSF, Google Images, iNaturalist, GBIF	Technical Description, Adults/Nymphs: Blatchley (1920); Otte (1981)
Comments: A medium-large, green and brown, Slant-faced Grasshopper. Males are usually green on their dorsal surfaces, from their face and top of the head, across the thorax, and onto the dorsal field of the tegmina; the sides are brown and the abdomen is yellowish (Otte, 1981). Females may be colored similarly, but often have a reversed pattern, with brown dorsal surfaces and green lateral. Some individuals can be all brown. No postocular stripe or other prominent stripes are present, although the lateral carinae of the pronotum may have a trace of a pale or dark edging, particularly in females (Blatchley, 1920). Females usually also possess small dark spots on their body and tegmina.
Total Length [body plus wings; excludes ovipositor]: 25-38 mm (to the end of the tegmina), males; 36-53 mm, females (Otte, 1981)
Structural Features: The antennae are ensiform; the posterior ends of the tegmina are truncate; and the hind knees have short, pointed processes, a combination that is unique among our grasshoppers
Singing Behavior: Males lack stridulatory pegs on the hind femora and have not been reported to stridulate or crepitate.
Nymphal Stages and Development: Apparently undescribed

Distribution in North Carolina


County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.


Adult Dates: High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft. Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft. Piedmont (Pd) Coastal Plain (CP) Click on graph to enlarge

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Morse (1904) described the habitat as consisting of the "rank herbage of swamps, meadows, and the vicinity of streams". The majority of our records come from these habitats, primarily grassy areas along the shorelines of ponds and streams and particularly the marshy vegetation that forms in partially filled beaver ponds. A few come from upland site but only where upland depressions occur that support wetland graminoids and other species typical of floodplains. We also have at least one record from a coastal marsh, but it is unclear whether it was a freshwater or saline marsh.

Diet: Apparently undescribed but probably consists primarily of graminoids

Observation Methods: Probably best found by flushing it by walking through its habitat. When disturbed, however, they may fly for some distance before landing.

Abundance/Frequency: This species occurs regularly in wet, grassy habitats, often in moderate numbers

Adult Phenology: Adults begin to appear in June and have been seen as late as November

See also Habitat Account for General Sedge, Grass, and Rush Mires

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 S4S5

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands

Comments: This species may once been associated primarily with beaver pond habitats but was able to persist in other wet, grassy, shorelines when the beaver were nearly exterminated over most of the continent. Today, they are found in most grassy wetlands, including those associated with reservoirs. It appears to be quite secure within the state.

Image Gallery for Metaleptea brevicornis - Clipped-Wing Grasshopper
	Recorded by: Mark Shields Scotland Co. Comment:	Recorded by: John Petranka Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka Orange Co. Comment:	Recorded by: John Petranka Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: H. Quay Orange Co. Comment:	Recorded by: John Petranka Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka Durham Co. Comment:	Recorded by: John Petranka Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka Durham Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:	Recorded by: F. Williams, S. Williams Bertie Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Burke Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: F. Williams, S. Williams Gates Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Shields Duplin Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall Orange Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Stephen Hall Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall Orange Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger Rockingham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: K. Bischof Chatham Co. Comment:	Recorded by: E. Corey Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall Orange Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Stephen Hall Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: FKW Gates Co. Comment:	Recorded by: FKW Gates Co. Comment:

Metaleptea brevicornis (Johannson, 1763) - Clipped-Wing Grasshopper

Image Gallery for Metaleptea brevicornis - Clipped-Wing Grasshopper