Orthoptera of North Carolina

Family (Alpha):

View	Acrididae Members:	NC Records
Melanoplus tribulus Morse, 1904 - No Common Name

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 tribulus 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: A small, short-winged (flightless) grasshopper. As in other members of the Tribulus Species Group, 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. 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.

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.


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

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Adult Phenology:

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status: W3

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G4G5 SU

State Protection:

Comments:

Image Gallery for Melanoplus tribulus
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall Montgomery Co. Comment: Collected and identification based on examination of the specimen		Recorded by: Stephen Hall Montgomery Co. Comment:

Melanoplus tribulus Morse, 1904 - No Common Name

Image Gallery for Melanoplus tribulus