Graceful Grasshopper
Melanoplus gracilis
This record describes Melanoplus gracilis (species). Recorded family: Acrididae. Recorded order: Orthoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Slender form with unique combination of long antennae; very short rounded wings separated over the back; bold dark patterning on abdomen; and green legs, including slender green hind femora. Paroxya may look very similar, but adults have little dark patterning on the abdomen, and have much longer well-developed wings that overlap over the back when folded. The rear margin of the pronotum is not emarginate in Paroxya . M. viridipes, Booneacris, and Dendrotettix are similar in appearance. Differences in sizes can be useful. All have brown to black on the hind femora. Booneacris has no wings. M. viridipes has wider wings that usually touch over the back. Dendrotettix may have short wings, in which case they are somewhat broader, or long wide wings; it has a distinct black line along the midline of the pronotum, and has the dark bar behind the eye broken and irregular in shape. This species is an odd bedfellow in Melanoplus and likely does not belong in this genus at all.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids)
- Suborder
- Caelifera
- Family
- Acrididae (Short-horned Grasshoppers)
- Subfamily
- Melanoplinae
- Tribe
- Melanoplini
- Genus
- Melanoplus
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
About Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids: the wider group
Order-level background for Orthoptera, the group containing Melanoplus gracilis. 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 Graceful Grasshopper (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Eric R. Eaton; Additional contributions by David Ferguson