Family (Alpha): ACRIDIDAE GRYLLACRIDIDAE GRYLLIDAE GRYLLOTALPIDAE RHAPHIDOPHORIDAE ROMALEIDAE TETRIGIDAE TETTIGONIIDAE TRIDACTYLIDAE
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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 propinquus Scudder, 1897 - Southern Red-legged Melanoplus
Taxonomy
Family: Acrididae
Subfamily: MelanoplinaeTribe: MelanopliniSynonym: Melanoplus femurrubrum propinquus 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. Along with M. sanguinipes and femurrubrum, M. propinquus belongs to the Sanguinipes Species Group (Cigliano et al., 2017).Species Status: Propinquus has been considered by some authors (e.g., Blatchely, 1920; Helfer, 1987) to be a subspecies of femurrubrum. It is listed as a separate species by the Orthoptera Species File, however, which is how we treat it here.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: BugGuide , Google Images ,
iNaturalist , GBIF Comments: Grayish-brown with a red hind-tibia; the underside of hind femur is also shaded with red. Similar in overall appearance to M. sanguinipes and femurrubrum, although duller and less yellowish than the latter. The diagnostic features are structural, however, and any photographs submitted as this species must show the external reproductive structures of the males. Structural Features: The furculae of the male reach at least half-way across the supra-anal plate, with the fingers extending fairly straight (Scudder, 1897); those of femurrubrum often reach less than half-way across and are more tapering, widely separated, or divergent. The cerci are also more rounded at the apex than in femurrubrum, which are more angulated, appearing diagonally truncate from above (Scudder, 1897; Capineira et al., 2004). See Structural Photos.Structural photos
Distribution in North Carolina
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Adult Dates: Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Diet: Observation Methods: Abundance/Frequency: Adult Phenology:
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 S3S4State Protection: Comments:
Image Gallery for Melanoplus propinquus - Southern Red-legged Melanoplus Recorded by: Mark Basinger Recorded by: Mark Basinger Recorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan Recorded by: Ken Kneidel Recorded by: Steve Hall Recorded by: Stephen Hall, John Amoroso, and Ed Corey
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