Orthoptera of North Carolina
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View Acrididae Members: NC Records

Paroxya clavuligera (Serville, 1838) - Olive-green Swamp Grasshopper

Taxonomy
Family: Acrididae Subfamily: Melanoplinae Tribe: MelanopliniSynonym: Paroxya clavuliger
Comments: One of four species in this genus found in North America north of Mexico (Cigliano et al., accessed 2023-11-07), two of which have been recorded in North Carolina. This genus is similar in appearance to other members of the Melanoplinae but can be recognized by their long pronota, which are twice as long as the average breadth, and by the very long antennae of the males, which are at least twice as long as the pronotum (Blatchely, 1920).
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: BugGuide, Google Images,  iNaturalist, GBIF                                                                                  
Comments: This species is often pale green or blue-green in color rather the brown shade typical of P. atlantica, although brown forms also occur. These two species are best distinguished by size -- P. clavuliger is the larger of the two -- and by structural features, particularly of the males. A black stripe extends from the eye along the sides of the thorax, remaining solid black along the entire length of the pronotum (Blatchley, 1920; Capinera et al., 2004). The hind tibiae are bluish-green.
Total Length [body plus wings; excludes ovipositor]: 20-32 mm, males; 28-44 mm, females (Blatchley, 1920)
Structural Features: In males, the antennae are longer than the hind femora and the tegmina are at least as long as abdomen. In females, the tegmina are slightly shorter than the abdomen (Blatchley, 1920), but note that the abdomen becomes greatly elongated when ovipositing. The cerci of males in both species are long, slender, constricted at the middle, and strongly incurved; the tips are flattened and broadly rounded (Capinera et al., 2004). The furcula in this species is one fourth to one third the length of the supra-anal plate but is short or barely visible in atlantica.
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)

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