Regal Grasshopper
Melanoplus regalis
This record describes Melanoplus regalis (species). Recorded family: Acrididae. Recorded order: Orthoptera.
Identification and Appearance
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.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
...found as far north as Nebraska, south into the grasslands of northern Mexico, but not west of the Rockies, except in that low gap between the Rockies and Mexico that lets things (including this species) sneak as far west as the grasslands of eastern Arizona and northeastern Sonora... - David J. Ferguson (2009)
About Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids: the wider group
Order-level background for Orthoptera, the group containing Melanoplus regalis. 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 Regal Grasshopper (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by David J. Ferguson; Additional contributions by metrioptera