Orthoptera of North Carolina
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Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
ACRIDIDAE
GRYLLACRIDIDAE
GRYLLIDAE
GRYLLOTALPIDAE
RHAPHIDOPHORIDAE
ROMALEIDAE
TETRIGIDAE
TETTIGONIIDAE
TRIDACTYLIDAE
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Acrididae Members:
Metaleptea brevicornis
Schistocerca alutacea
Schistocerca americana
Schistocerca damnifica
Schistocerca lineata
Schistocerca obscura
Schistocerca rubiginosa
Schistocerca unidentified species
Amblytropidia mysteca
Syrbula admirabilis
Chloealtis conspersa
Eritettix simplex
Pseudochorthippus curtipennis
Mermiria unidentified species
Mermiria bivittata
Mermiria intertexta
Mermiria picta
Dichromorpha elegans
Dichromorpha viridis
Orphulella pelidna
Orphulella speciosa
Leptysma marginicollis
Stenacris vitreipennis
Campylacantha olivacea
Paratylotropidia beutenmuelleri
Eotettix pusillus
Hesperotettix viridis
Hesperotettix viridis brevipennis
Melanoplus unidentified species
Melanoplus viridipes group unidentified species
Melanoplus acrophilus
Melanoplus angustipennis
Melanoplus attenuatus
Melanoplus bispinosus
Melanoplus bivittatus
Melanoplus carnegiei
Melanoplus celatus
Melanoplus cherokee
Melanoplus confusus
Melanoplus coreyi
Melanoplus deceptus
Melanoplus decoratus
Melanoplus decorus
Melanoplus devius
Melanoplus differentialis
Melanoplus divergens
Melanoplus eurycercus
Melanoplus femurrubrum
Melanoplus hubbelli
Melanoplus impudicus
Melanoplus keeleri
Melanoplus keeleri keeleri
Melanoplus keeleri luridus
Melanoplus mirus
Melanoplus n. sp. 35
Melanoplus n. sp. 6
Melanoplus nigrescens
Melanoplus nossi
Melanoplus nubilus
Melanoplus pachycercus
Melanoplus propinquus
Melanoplus punctulatus
Melanoplus punctulatus arboreus
Melanoplus punctulatus punctulatus
Melanoplus sanguinipes
Melanoplus sanguinipes atlanis
Melanoplus sanguinipes defectus
Melanoplus scudderi
Melanoplus serrulatus
Melanoplus similis
Melanoplus strumosus
Melanoplus sylvestris
Melanoplus tribulus
Melanoplus walshii
Paroxya atlantica
Paroxya clavuligera
Booneacris variegata
Dendrotettix australis
Dendrotettix zimmermanni
Stethophyma celatum
Arphia unidentified species
Arphia granulata
Arphia sulphurea
Arphia xanthoptera
Chortophaga australior
Chortophaga viridifasciata
Chortophaga unidentified species
Encoptolophus sordidus
Hippiscus ocelote
Pardalophora apiculata
Pardalophora phoenicoptera
Psinidia fenestralis
Trachyrhachys kiowa
Dissosteira carolina
Spharagemon bolli
Spharagemon cristatum
Spharagemon marmorata
Spharagemon marmorata picta
Trimerotropis maritima
Trimerotropis saxatilis
NC
Records
Melanoplus cherokee
Hebard, 1935 - Cherokee Melanoplus
No image for this species.
Taxonomy
Family:
Acrididae
Subfamily:
Melanoplinae
Tribe:
Melanoplini
Comments:
Melanoplus is our largest genus of Orthopterans, with over 350 species occurring in North America (Cigliano et al., 2017). 38 species have been recorded in North Carolina. Melanoplus cherokee is a member of the Viridpes species group (Otte, 2002), which in North Carolina also includes acrophilus, pachycercus, eurycercus, deceptus, hubbelli, and similis.
Species Status:
The type locality of this species is Crestmont in the Great Smoky Mountains (Hebard, 1935).
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions:
Online Photographs:
BugGuide
, Google
Images
,
iNaturalist
,
GBIF
Technical Description, Adults/Nymphs:
Hebard (1934); Otte (2002)
Comments:
A small, contrastingly patterned, green-legged Melanoplus. Males are similar to other strongly-marked species in this group, including eurycercus, pachycercus, acrophilus, and deceptus, all of which are grayish dorsally, shining black along the post-ocular line, thorax, and abdomen, and white on the face and lower sides of the pronotum. The fore and middle legs are bright green but the hind femur is white, banded with two black bands that are connected along the lower middle face. The abdominal segments are also contrastingly marked with black and white patches. These species are best distinguished based on structural features.
Total Length [body plus wings; excludes ovipositor]:
18-21 mm, males (to the end of the femur); 21 mm, females (Otte, 2002)
Structural Features:
Furculae are indistinct mounds. Cerci are widened at the tip, broader than at the middle. Tegmina are slightly shorter or slightly longer than the pronotum, but usually do no reach the middle of the abdomen (Otte, 2002). The internal reproductive structures are diagnostic (see Hebard, 1934, and Otte, 2002, for descriptions and illustrations).
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:
Otte (2002) describes the habitat as "grassy mountain tops and mountain crests, also in margins of woods and openings in woods where the sun penetrates readily."
Diet:
Undescribed
Observation Methods:
Probably best found by flushing it by walking through its habitat
Abundance/Frequency:
Probably fairly local
Adult Phenology:
Adults are present in mid-summer
See also Habitat Account for
Montane Forblands and Successional Fields
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
SR
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
G1G3 S2?
State Protection:
Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands
Comments:
This species has a very restricted global range, recorded only from the southern mountains of North Carolina (Madison, Hayward, and Swain Counties) and Rabun Bald in northwest Georgia (Otte, 2002). As a small, flightless species, cherokee is probably vulnerable to the effects of habitat fragmentation and could be at risk due to the effects of climate change.
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