Orthoptera of North Carolina
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View Acrididae Members: NC Records

Melanoplus keeleri Thomas, 1874 - Keeler's Locust

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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.
Species Status: The two subspecies, M. keeleri keeleri and M. k. luridus, have long been recognized, based on differences in size, reproductive structures, and coloration; in North Carolina, moreover, they appear to be allopatric: Rehn and Hebard (1916) describe the nominate subspecies as being primarily Southeastern and found in the extreme southern end of the Appalachians only at elevations around or below 2,000'. Subspecies luridus, on the other hand, is primarily Northern and Western; it reaches North Carolina along the Appalachians and is found at higher elevations than the nominate form, often above 4,000'.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: BugGuide, Google Images,  iNaturalist, GBIF                                                                                  
Distribution in North Carolina
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Melanoplus keeleri
Adult Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

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Habitats and Life History
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Diet:
Observation Methods:
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Adult Phenology:
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 [S4S5]
State Protection:
Comments:

Image Gallery for Melanoplus keeleri - Keeler's Locust

Melanoplus keeleri Recorded by: Mark Basinger, Jim Petranka, and Becky Elkin
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Melanoplus keeleri Recorded by: Mark Basinger, Jim Petranka, and Becky Elkin
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Melanoplus keeleri Recorded by: Mark Basinger, Jim Petranka, and Becky Elkin
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Melanoplus keeleri Recorded by: Mark Basinger, Jim Petranka, and Becky Elkin
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Melanoplus keeleri Recorded by: Stephen Hall and Mark Basinger
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Melanoplus keeleri Recorded by: Stephen Hall and Mark Basinger
Richmond Co.
Comment: On a mesic slope above a streamhead swamp