Geographic distribution - Newfoundland and Labrador to British Columbia (Canada), south to Alabama, Arkansas and New Mexico (Heifer, 1972). In Colorado it is found from the foothills up to 11,000 ft. in the Rockies (Hebard, 1929; Helter, 1972).
Habitat - dry, open woods especially on huckleberry or blueberry bushes in sunlit spots (Heifer, 1972).
Food habits - mixed feeder preferring forbes (Criddle, 1933a).
Nymph - five instars (Ramsey, 1964).
Adult - small to medium size. General color is brown, yellow below. Face is nearly vertical to moderately slanting. A weak, dark band extends back from the eye, crossing part of the lateral lobes of the pronotum. Dorsal posterior margin of pronotum is rounded. Tegmina are about twice the length of pronotum; uniform dark brown in color. Hind femora usually have three dark bands, but sometimes bands are absent. Hind tibiae are red. Male cerci are three to four times as long as width at constriction; expansion beyond middle is about as wide as base. An occasional specimen may have long tegmina. Male length 17 mm; female, 20 mm.
Seasonal history - adults are present from June to September (Heifer, 1972).
Abundance and importance - not abundant in Colorado (Gillette, 1904; Hebard, 1929).
Next Species: Melanoplus femurrubrum
Previous Species: Melanoplus dodgei
Biology of Common Colorado Grasshoppers List
Biology of Common Colorado Grasshoppers
Grasshoppers of Colorado Contents
