Orthoptera of North Carolina

Family (Alpha):

View	Acrididae Members:	NC Records
Melanoplus sanguinipes (Fabricius, 1798) - Migratory 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. Along with M. propinquus and femurrubrum, M. sanguinipes belongs to the Sanguinipes Species Group (Cigiano et al., 2017).

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Capinera et al. (2004)	Online Photographs: BugGuide, Google Images, iNaturalist, GBIF	Technical Description, Adults/Nymphs: Blatchley (1920)
Comments: This is a grayish-brown, long-winged species. The usual postoccular dark stripe is present but may be incomplete on the metazona. The hind femur has two dark marks on the outer face. The hind tibiae are usually red but can sometimes be blue. The tegmina are brownish-gray and have a a row of dark spots running across the middle of the wings.
Total Length [body plus wings; excludes ovipositor]: 19-24 mm, males; 18-32 mm, females (Capinera et al., 2004)
Structural Features: Male cerci are broad, relatively straight, and rounded at the apex

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: Prefers successional fields and other open herbaceous areas

Diet: Polyphagous, feeding on both forbs and graminoids. This species is considered to be the worst crop pest among the North American grasshoppers, particularly in the prairie region where it can form immense migratory outbreaks.

Observation Methods:

Abundance/Frequency:

Adult Phenology: There appears to be just a single brood per year in North Carolina

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 [S4S5]

State Protection:

Comments:

Image Gallery for Melanoplus sanguinipes - Migratory Locust
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall Columbus Co. Comment: Identity confirmed by collection	Recorded by: Stephen Hall Columbus Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall Columbus Co. Comment:

Melanoplus sanguinipes (Fabricius, 1798) - Migratory Locust

Image Gallery for Melanoplus sanguinipes - Migratory Locust