Keeler's Spur-throat Grasshopper
Melanoplus keeleri
Identification 4
This species is similar to Red-legged and Migratory Grasshoppers and may go overlooked as a result. Look carefully at the pattern on the outer face of the femur, which is an uninterrupted stripe (not banded) that narrows toward the base of the femur. Banding may occur on top of the femur, but does not extend far enough down to break the ventral light stripe. Male cerci are distinctively bifurcate and are the best character to clinch the ID.
Resources 4
Grasshoppers of the Western U.S.: https://idtools.org/id/grasshoppers/factsheet.php?name=13196
Capinera, J.L., R.D. Scott, and T.J. Walker. 2004. Field Guide to Grasshoppers, Katydids, and Crickets of the United States. Cornell University Press.
Occurrence 4
Statewide. Knutson (1937) reported it in 11 counties around the state. SCAN has 25 records, BugGuide has 5 records, and iNaturalist has 2 records.
Habitat 4
Grasshoppers of the Western U.S. states that it occurs in upland grasslands. Capinera et al. (2004) describes their habitat as dry prairie, pasture, and open woods, where it usually feeds on broadleaf shurbs rather than grasses.
Sources and Credits
- (c) kha, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by kha
- (c) Matt Pelikan, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Pelikan
- (c) Steven Mlodinow, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Steven Mlodinow
- (c) Tyler Grant, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
