Wingless Mountain Grasshopper
Booneacris glacialis
This record describes Booneacris glacialis (species). Recorded family: Acrididae. Recorded order: Orthoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Totally wingless spurthoat Grasshopper; usually greenish; with face nearly vertical. Found in northeast. Very closely akin, and similar to Dendrotettix, Appalachia, and perhaps Melanoplus viridipes , but those all have at least short wings.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids)
- Suborder
- Caelifera
- Family
- Acrididae (Short-horned Grasshoppers)
- Subfamily
- Melanoplinae
- Tribe
- Podismini
- Genus
- Booneacris
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Minnesota and western Ontario east to New Brunswick, Maine, and New Hampshire, and south through the Appalachians.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: The subspecies variegatus , occurring from Ontario and New England, south to North Carolina, with longer antennae and hind femur banded dark, is treated as a distinct species by some authors. However, those distinctions seem unreliable and not constant, and the distinction seems unwarranted. However, further study may show that indeed there are more than one eastern species of Booneacris .
About Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids: the wider group
Order-level background for Orthoptera, the group containing Booneacris glacialis. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Orthoptera includes ~28,000 described species of grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids. Desert locusts can form swarms covering 460 square miles containing up to 80 million individuals per square kilometer.
Ecological role of the group
Grasshoppers and crickets are a primary food source for birds, reptiles, and small mammals. Cricket farming is a growing industry - crickets require 12× less feed than cattle to produce the same amount of protein, using 2,000× less water.
Economic and practical significance of the group
A single large locust swarm can consume the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people. The 2019-2021 East Africa locust crisis affected food security for 42 million people across multiple countries. Global crop losses from locusts can reach billions annually.
Recorded sources for this group: FAO, UN World Food Programme, research publications. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Wingless Mountain Grasshopper (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by tom murray; Additional contributions by David Ferguson , metrioptera
Frequently Asked Questions About Wingless Mountain Grasshopper
What is Wingless Mountain Grasshopper?
Wingless Mountain Grasshopper (Booneacris glacialis) is a species in the family Acrididae, within the order Orthoptera.
How do you identify Wingless Mountain Grasshopper?
Totally wingless spurthoat Grasshopper; usually greenish; with face nearly vertical. Found in northeast. Very closely akin, and similar to Dendrotettix, Appalachia, and perhaps Melanoplus viridipes , but those all have at least short wings.
Where is Wingless Mountain Grasshopper found?
Range: Minnesota and western Ontario east to New Brunswick, Maine, and New Hampshire, and south through the Appalachians.