Colorado River Blue-wing Grasshopper
Trimerotropis arizonensis
This record describes Trimerotropis arizonensis (species). Recorded family: Acrididae. Recorded order: Orthoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Very similar to Trimerotropis cyaneipennis , but with narrower transparent blue-green to blue wings. Hind tibia varies from greenish to blue usually with dark near the top and bottom, plus a pale ring near the top. Pronotum with rear part (metazona) not so much longer than front part (prozona) above and with hind angle usually bluntly obtuse. The shoulders of the pronotum are more rounded. Found at lower elevations in much hotter extreme environments. The crepitation produced in flight is a pulsed buzz instead of a crackle made up of short pulses of only two notes (typical in T. cyaneipennis ), and the sound is distinctly different. This species is closely enough similar to T. cyaneipennis to have caused doubts as to it's specific distinction, and authors have questioned it. However, the differences seem great enough to be treated as distinct, and in fact it is quite distinct in points of morphology and behavior. The question deserves more attention. There is also similarity to T. saxatilis , which it behaves very much like. Wing color and distribution make confusion impossible though.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids)
- Suborder
- Caelifera
- Family
- Acrididae (Short-horned Grasshoppers)
- Subfamily
- Oedipodinae
- Tribe
- Trimerotropini
- Genus
- Trimerotropis
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Dry, hot, sloping, rocky areas (usually associated with fractured rock outcroppings) in sparse Mojave Desert scrub in low elevation broken or mountainous terrain.
Geographic Range
Near the Colorado River in southern Nevada, extreme western Arizona, and extreme eastern south California. It has been reported from Mojave & Yuma Counties, Arizona; Clark & Lincoln Counties, Nevada (though Lincoln County seems unlikely due to lack of habitat); and San Bernardino County, California.
Seasonal Activity
Adults are recorded from summer (early August through October). Probably overwinters as eggs.
About Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids: the wider group
Order-level background for Orthoptera, the group containing Trimerotropis arizonensis. 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 Colorado River Blue-wing Grasshopper (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by David J. Ferguson
Frequently Asked Questions About Colorado River Blue-wing Grasshopper
What is Colorado River Blue-wing Grasshopper?
Colorado River Blue-wing Grasshopper (Trimerotropis arizonensis) is a species in the family Acrididae, within the order Orthoptera.
How do you identify Colorado River Blue-wing Grasshopper?
Very similar to Trimerotropis cyaneipennis , but with narrower transparent blue-green to blue wings. Hind tibia varies from greenish to blue usually with dark near the top and bottom, plus a pale ring near the top. Pronotum with rear part (metazona) not so much longer than front part (prozona) above and with hind angle usually bluntly obtuse. The shoulders of the pronotum are more rounded. Found at lower elevations in much hotter extreme environments. The crepitation produced in flight is a pulsed buzz instead of a crackle made up of short pulses of only two notes (typical in T. cyaneipennis ), and the sound is distinctly different. This species is closely enough similar to T. cyaneipennis to have caused doubts as to it's specific distinction, and authors have questioned it. However, the differences seem great enough to be treated as distinct, and in fact it is quite distinct in points of morphology and behavior. The question deserves more attention. There is also similarity to T. saxatilis , which it behaves very much like. Wing color and distribution make confusion impossible though.
Where is Colorado River Blue-wing Grasshopper found?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Dry, hot, sloping, rocky areas (usually associated with fractured rock outcroppings) in sparse Mojave Desert scrub in low elevation broken or mountainous terrain. |
| Range | Near the Colorado River in southern Nevada, extreme western Arizona, and extreme eastern south California. It has been reported from Mojave & Yuma Counties, Arizona; Clark & Lincoln Counties, Nevada (though Lincoln County seems unlikely due to lack of habitat); and San Bernardino County, California. |
When is Colorado River Blue-wing Grasshopper active?
Colorado River Blue-wing Grasshopper: seasonal activity - Adults are recorded from summer (early August through October). Probably overwinters as eggs..