Orthoptera of North Carolina

Family (Alpha):

View	Acrididae Members:	NC Records
Melanoplus differentialis (Thomas, 1865) - Differential Locust

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.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:	Online Photographs: BugGuide, Google Images, iNaturalist, GBIF
Comments: A large, long-winged Melanoplus. The body is usually yellowish- to greenish-brown, with unmarked tegmina. The dark lateral stripe characteristic of most members of this genus is poorly developed to absent. The hind tibiae are yellow and the herringbone pattern of dark bars on the hind femur is diagnostic.
Total Length [body plus wings; excludes ovipositor]: 28-37 mm, males; 34-50 mm, females (Capineira et al., 2004)

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: Found in open, herbaceous fields, often in wet areas.

Diet: Polyphagous, preferring broad-leafed forbs but also feeding on grasses. Can be a pest species of cultivated crops.

Observation Methods:

Abundance/Frequency:

Adult Phenology: Single brooded, with adults appearing in mid-summer

See also Habitat Account for General Successional Fields and Forblands

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 [S5]

State Protection:

Comments:

Image Gallery for Melanoplus differentialis - Differential Locust
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Wilson Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Scotland Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Scotland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Alamance Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Alamance Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Alamance Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Wayne Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Wayne Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Wayne Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Michael P. Morales Beaufort Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Michael P. Morales Sampson Co. Comment:	Recorded by: David George, Becky Watkins Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Vin Stanton Buncombe Co. Comment:	Recorded by: John Petranka Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka Durham Co. Comment:	Recorded by: F. Williams, S. Williams Gates Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Vin Stanton Buncombe Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: V. Jones Iredell Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Karyn Cook Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: K. Bischof Burke Co. Comment:	Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan Jones Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: G. Schneider Iredell Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Shields Duplin Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Shields Bladen Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman Scotland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall Alleghany Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Jason Brown Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman Scotland Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman Scotland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: K. Bischof Surry Co. Comment:	Recorded by: J. Anderson Stokes Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: H.Smith, M.Windsor Dare Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Newman, Randy Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall Brunswick Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Scott Bolick Forsyth Co. Comment:

Melanoplus differentialis (Thomas, 1865) - Differential Locust

Image Gallery for Melanoplus differentialis - Differential Locust