Orthoptera of North Carolina

Family (Alpha):

View	Acrididae Members:	NC Records
Dendrotettix australis (Morse, 1907) - Southern Dendrotettix

Taxonomy

Family: Acrididae	Subfamily: Melanoplinae	Tribe: Podismini	Synonym: Dendrotettix scudderi
Comments: One of three species in this genus endemic to eastern North America (Cigliano et al., 2018), two of which have been recorded in North Carolina
Species Status: This genus is included within the tribe Podismini, which also includes Booneacris

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

Online Photographs: BugGuide, Google Images, iNaturalist, GBIF

Technical Description, Adults/Nymphs: Friauf (1957)

Comments: This is strikingly marked, short-winged, arboreal grasshopper. The head, pronotum, and dorsal surface of the abdomen are predominately pale, ranging from buff to bluish-green to white. Dark brown to blackish markings are also located on the head, particularly forming a postocular stripe that runs along the upper lateral surface of the protonotum, sides of the meso- and metanotoum, and the sides of the abdomen. A dorsal dark stripe also runs from the back of the head to the end of the pronotum; in some specimens it also continues on along the midline of the abdomen, but in others the abdomen is largely blackish with a white mid-dorsal line. The first two pairs of legs are green and the hind femur is distinctively shaded with cherry red; two dark bands are also present on the outer face of the femur. The hind tibia is glaucus with black spines. Dendrotettix zimmermani is similar in color and pattern but generally lighter and lacking the cherry-red shade on the hind femur (Friau, 1957).

Structural Features: The tegmina are short and black, with brownish veins. Males can be separated from those of zimmermani by their supra-anal plates, which are about equal in australis but shorter than wide in zimmermani); by their longer furculae that are wider at the base; and by distinctive differences in the internal genitalia. Females likewise can be distinguished by differences in their ovipositors (see illustrations and descriptions in Friauf, 1957).

Structural photos

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: Our records all come from dry ridges

Diet: Friauf (1957) stated that almost all records for this species come from Scrub Pines (P. virginianus), which is presumably used for food.

Observation Methods: This species is arboreal and probably best searched for following windy nights.

Abundance/Frequency:

Adult Phenology:

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status: W3

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GU SU

State Protection:

Comments:

Image Gallery for Dendrotettix australis - Southern Dendrotettix
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall Cherokee Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Ed Corey Rutherford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: M. Haynes Stokes Co. Comment:

Dendrotettix australis (Morse, 1907) - Southern Dendrotettix

Image Gallery for Dendrotettix australis - Southern Dendrotettix