Huachuca Monkey Grasshopper
Eumorsea balli
This record describes Eumorsea balli (species). Recorded family: Eumastacidae. Recorded order: Orthoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Type Locality: Ramsey Canyon above the box, Huachuca Mts., Cochise County, Arizona. Elevation 6000 feet. Collected July 20, 1933 by E. D. Ball from Mexican Pinyon - Pinus cembroides (Hebard 1935)
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids)
- Suborder
- Caelifera
- Family
- Eumastacidae (Monkey Grasshoppers)
- Genus
- Eumorsea
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Shrubland/chaparral
Geographic Range
Endemic to the Huachuca Mountains (Cochise Co.) and Santa Rita Mountains (Santa Cruz Co.), se. Arizona
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Patronym for Dr. E. D. Ball, University of Arizona
About Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids: the wider group
Order-level background for Orthoptera, the group containing Eumorsea balli. 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 Huachuca Monkey Grasshopper (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by David J. Ferguson; Additional contributions by Mike Quinn