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 decoratus
Morse, 1904 - Decorated Melanoplus
Male
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 decoratus was included in the Ovobatipennis Species Group described by Blatchley (1920) but in the Tribulus Species Group as currently defined by Cigliano et al. (accessed 2024-10). This group was recently reviewed by Hill (2014), who included Melanoplus decoratus, moresi, rusticus, tepidus, tribuloides, and tribulus. Hill also added Melanolplus nossi, which he described in this paper, and thought that devius could possibly be included based on external morphology. In North Carolina, members of the Tribulus Group include decoratus, tribulus, nossi, and provisionally, devius.
Species Status:
The type locality for decoratus given by Morse (1904) is Murphy, North Carolina; Morse also collected the species at Topton in Cherokee County.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions:
Online Photographs:
BugGuide
; OSF, Google
Images
,
iNaturalist
,
GBIF
Technical Description, Adults/Nymphs:
Morse (1904); Blatchley (1920)
Comments:
A small, short-winged (flightless) grasshopper. The dorsal surface of the head and body is dark, reddish-brown. A shining black stripe runs from the back of the eye and extending along the sides of the thorax and abdomen. The sides of the thorax below the stripe are white (Morse, 1904). The legs are yellowish-brown and the hind tibiae are yellowish green. This pattern is similar to several other species of short-winged Melanoplus and the external reproductive structures must be used to identify this species; photographs that include a good view of the cerci and subgenital plate provide enough information for that purpose.
Total Length [body plus wings; excludes ovipositor]:
15-18 mm, males; 21.5-25 mm, females (Morse, 1904)
Structural Features:
Males are characterized by their very distinctive subgenital plate: the apical tubercle is somewhat elongate and curving upwards. The furculae are well-developed and the cerci are broadly rounded on the dorsal side of the apex but somewhat angulated ventrally (Morse, 1904). The tegmina are shorter than the pronotum and rounded apically. In both sexes, but particularly the females, the fastigium projects well in front of the eyes.
Nymphal Stages and Development:
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:
Rehn and Hebard (1916) describe decoratus as "scarce in the undergrowth of heavy chestnut forest" and found "among oak sprouts in a tangle of other plants and vines in pine woods"
Diet:
Unrecorded
Observation Methods:
Probably best found by flushing adults by walking through their habitats
Abundance/Frequency:
Described as scarce at one site by Rehn and Hebard (1916)
Adult Phenology:
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
SR
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
GU S1S2->[SH]
State Protection:
Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands
Comments:
This species is known in North Carolina primarily (or exclusively) from historic records. However, it does not appear to be particularly specialized in terms of habitats or elevational range and is likely to still occur in the state. However, more surveys need to be conducted in order to determine its overall distribution, abundance, and habitat preferences before its conservation status can be accurately assessed.
Image Gallery for
Melanoplus decoratus
- Decorated Melanoplus
Recorded by: B.B. Fulton
Alleghany Co.
Comment: NCSU Insect Museum specimen
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