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Fun Facts
Did You Know?
The three Melanoplus species with separate NLW articles, Red-Legged, Differential, Migratory, represent the best-known members of a much larger cast. The 26 parishes almost certainly support additional Melanoplus species that most observers encounter without recognizing as distinct from the Big Three. Melanoplus keeleri (Keeler's spur-throated grasshopper), Melanoplus scudderi (Scudder's short-winged grasshopper), Melanoplus walshii (Walsh's grasshopper), and potentially several other species share the open-habitat, mixed-diet, medium-brown-body ecological template that makes genus-level…
If This Animal Could Talk...
"Watch closely, respect my space, and let my habitat explain the rest of the story."
The spur-throated grasshoppers belong to the subfamily Melanoplinae within the family Acrididae, and the genus Melanoplus alone contains over 200 described species in North America, making the group the single most species-rich and taxonomically overwhelming grasshopper group on the continent. The sheer number of species means that every walk through every field in every parish in the 26 parishes flushes Melanoplus grasshoppers that the walker can't name, the camera can't separate, and the field guide can't resolve without genitalic examination. The taxonomic opacity frustrates beginners and humbles experts in equal measure.
The common name references a small, peg-like spur (properly called a prosternal spine) that projects between the front legs on the underside of the thorax. Every Melanoplus species carries this spine, and the structure separates the entire genus from grasshopper genera that lack it. Flip a medium-sized brown grasshopper upside down, find the little peg between the front coxae (leg bases), and you've confirmed Melanoplus, or at least the Melanoplinae neighborhood. The flip-and-check takes two seconds if you can catch the grasshopper. Catching the grasshopper takes considerably longer and involves more cursing than most field guides acknowledge.
A Few More Facts
How they hunt and forage: The seasonal stagger means the predator lineup in any given habitat receives a continuous supply of Melanoplus prey from spring through fall, with the prey size increasing through the summer as successively larger species reach adulthood. The same shrike in August catches the large Differential Grasshopper adults that represent the biggest Melanoplus prey available. The shrike's diet tracks the seasonal progression of the Melanoplus lineup, shifting from small prey to large prey as the season advances and the later-emerging, larger species reach adult size.
Live birth or eggs? no
When young are born: These structures require either a collected specimen examined under magnification or exceptional close-up photography of a cooperative grasshopper, neither of which describes the typical encounter with a brown grasshopper hopping through a Claiborne Parish hayfield in August.
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Accessibility
Accessibility
No crepitation, no calling song, no sustained acoustic display for most species. The flight sounds when flushed, a soft whir of wings, provide the only audible cue, varying in volume with the species' body size. All sounds sit in the standard human hearing frequency range.
The genus occupies every open ground type across the 26 parishes, paved margins, mowed grass, maintained roadsides, garden borders, field edges. All primary habitats sit on flat, firm terrain. No off-trail access, no rough surfaces, and no steep grades required. More Information
iNaturalist: inaturalist.org, observation records for Melanoplus species BugGuide: bugguide.net, identification resources for Melanoplinae Orthoptera Species File: orthoptera.speciesfile.org, taxonomy and distribution data
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Spur-Throated Grasshoppers live in North Louisiana?
Yes. The sheer number of species means that every walk through every field in every parish in the 26 parishes flushes Melanoplus grasshoppers that the walker can't name, the camera can't separate, and the field guide can't resolve without genitalic examination. The irony: the genus named for dark legs contains three of its most recognizable North Louisiana species specifically because those species wear leg colors (red, yellow-and-black chevrons, blue) that differ from the generic dark coloring the name implies.
The spur-throated grasshopper complex creates a seasonal mosaic across the 26 parishes that stretches from the earliest spring emergence to the last fall frost.
How do you identify Spur-Throated Grasshoppers?
The spur-throated grasshoppers belong to the subfamily Melanoplinae within the family Acrididae, and the genus Melanoplus alone contains over 200 described species in North America, making the group the single most species-rich and taxonomically overwhelming grasshopper group on the continent. The sheer number of species means that every walk through every field in every parish in the 26 parishes flushes Melanoplus grasshoppers that the walker can't name, the camera can't separate, and the field guide can't resolve without genitalic examination. The taxonomic opacity frustrates beginners and humbles experts in equal measure.The common name references a small, peg-like spur (properly called a prosternal spine) that projects between the front legs on the underside of the thorax. Every Melanoplus species carries this spine, and the structure separates the entire genus from grasshopper genera that lack it. Flip a medium-sized brown grasshopper upside down, find the little peg between the front coxae (leg bases), and you've confirmed Melanoplus, or at least the Melanoplinae neighborhood. The flip-and-check takes two seconds if you can catch the grasshopper. Catching the grasshopper takes considerably longer and involves more cursing than most field guides acknowledge.
What does Spur-Throated Grasshoppers eat?
The seasonal stagger means the predator lineup in any given habitat receives a continuous supply of Melanoplus prey from spring through fall, with the prey size increasing through the summer as successively larger species reach adulthood. The same shrike in August catches the large Differential Grasshopper adults that represent the biggest Melanoplus prey available. The shrike's diet tracks the seasonal progression of the Melanoplus lineup, shifting from small prey to large prey as the season advances and the later-emerging, larger species reach adult size.
Is Spur-Throated Grasshoppers dangerous to people?
No. This species is not dangerous to people when it is observed without handling or disturbance
