Orthoptera of North Carolina
Scientific Name: Common Name:
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View Acrididae Members: NC Records

Melanoplus walshii Scudder, 1897 - Walsh's Locust


Male
Female
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 yellowish-brown, short-winged Melanoplus with red hind tibiae; males are darker brown than the tannish females. The tegmina are similar to those of nigrescens in showing a strong differentiation between the pale dorsal and dark lateral fields but in this species, the lateral field are dark reddish-brown rather than the black. The pale areas in this species are also more yellowish than pale clay colored, as they are in nigrescens. The two species also differ in structural features.
Total Length [body plus wings; excludes ovipositor]: 19-25 mm, males; 23-29 mm, females (Blatchley, 1920)Forewing Length: 6.2-9 mm, males; 8-9 mm, females (Blatchley, 1920)
Structural Features: The pronotal, mid-dorsal ridge is distinct only on the metazona and the prozona is a third or more longer than the metazona (Blatchley, 1920). The tegmina show clear differences in color and texture between the dorsal and lateral fields, with a yellow stripe along the carina separating them. The tips are somewhat pointed and the dorsal fields touch or overlap. The apex of the male cerci are rounded rather than truncated, as in nigrescens. The subgenital plate lacks an apical tubercle, as exists in nigrescens.
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:
Diet:
Observation Methods:
Abundance/Frequency:
Adult Phenology:
See also Habitat Account for Montane Forblands and Successional Fields
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: W3
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G4G5 S3S4
State Protection:
Comments:

Image Gallery for Melanoplus walshii - Walsh's Locust

Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Jim Petranka
Mitchell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Jim Petranka
Mitchell Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Jim Petranka
Mitchell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik
Macon Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Steve Hall, Bo Sullivan, Jim Petranka, and Becky Elkin
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Steve Hall, Bo Sullivan, Jim Petranka, and Becky Elkin
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Steve Hall, Bo Sullivan, Jim Petranka, and Becky Elkin
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan
Ashe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan
Ashe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Stephen Hall and Bo Sullivan
Ashe Co.
Comment: Male
Recorded by: Stephen Hall and Bo Sullivan
Ashe Co.
Comment: Mating pair		 Recorded by: Stephen Hall and Bo Sullivan
Ashe Co.
Comment: Male, brown phase
Recorded by: Stephen Hall and Bo Sullivan
Ashe Co.
Comment: Male, green phase		 Recorded by: Stephen Hall and Bo Sullivan
Ashe Co.
Comment: Female
Recorded by: Stephen Hall and Bo Sullivan
Ashe Co.
Comment: Male		 Recorded by: Ed Corey, Brian Bockhahn, S. Koch
Stokes Co.
Comment: determined by J. Hill