This key is the online presentation of a revison made in 1998 by Timothy J. McNary to a key developed by Dr. Robert E. Pfadt, Professor Emeritus, University of Wyoming. In text this online version is true to the hard-copy original; modifications have been made in its presentation so as to take advantage of the online layout (only one dichotomous choice appears per web page; the appropriate figures are included with the text that references them).
The "Figures" page contains several illustrations of general grasshopper anatomy. The rest of the figures are integrated into the key itself. In addition to the black and white line drawings that originally illustrated the key, figures and photos have been taken from several other sources to help illustrate and "flesh-out" the key. These sources include:
Pfadt, R.E. 2002. Field Guide to Common Western Grasshoppers, Third Edition. Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station. Bulletin 912. 288 pages.
Capinera, J.L. and T.S. Sechrist. 1982. Grasshoppers (Acrididae) of Colorado: Identification, Biology, and Management. Colorado State University Experiment Station. Bulletin 584S. 161 pages.
Richman, D.B., D.C. Lightfoot, C.A. Sutherland, and D.J. Ferguson. 1993. A Manual of the Grasshoppers of New Mexico. New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service.
In at least one instance, an original photo by the online author has been used. Given the dynamic nature of online presentation, it is the online author's intent to add to the illustrations when new photos become available in the future.
The "Glossary" helps clarify the meaning of many of the scientific terms as used by the authors in the text of the key.
While it is still possible to begin with the very first step and proceed all the way to the identification of a particular species, the overall key has been broken into sections, which allows a user who already knows something about the identity of their specimen (for example, subfamily) to proceed directly to the appropriate place in the key.
When a species identification is reached in the key, a link is provided to the fact sheet, if available, for that species from Dr. Pfadt's Field Guide to Common Western Grasshoppers. If no fact sheet is available, a link is provided to that species' brief fact sheet and distribution map from the Wyoming Grasshopper Distribution Atlas. More information about a particular species may be available in the Grasshoppers of Colorado and Grasshoppers of New Mexico sections of the website.
The creation of this online version of the key was possible thanks to the financial support of a cooperative agreement between the USDA-APHIS-PPQ and the University of Wyoming.
If you have any comments, suggestions, or potential contributions, or if you find any problems with the site, please contact:
Extension Entomology
Email: InsectID@uwyo.edu
