North American spur-throated grasshoppers

Melanoplus is the largest genus of grasshoppers in the world. It is known at least in North America as “North American spur-throated grasshoppers,” but not all species occur on this continent. There are at least 369 species of Melanoplus worldwide, at least 239 species in North America north of Mexico, and at least 27 species in Minnesota. The genus is likely to be split in the future into nine to nineteen or even more genera.

Adults and nymphs feed on mostly leaves, but also flowers, fruit, and bark, of mostly broad-leaved forbs and shrubs, but some feed on grasses, some on trees.

Adults can be small to relatively large, and may be brown, green, gray, or yellow. All have a spur below between the bases of their front legs. The top of the head is rounded in profile. The face is vertical or only slightly slanted. There is usually a dark stripe behind each compound eye that continues on the upper plate covering the thorax (pronotum). The pronotum is broadly convex above and is often slightly ridged.

Sources

7, 19, 24, 27, 29, 30, 82.

North American spur-throated grasshoppers

Location: Lake Shore

Location: Albany, NY

Location: Woodbury, MN

Location: Woodbury, MN

Location: Woodbury, MN