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Orthoptera Species File
Subspecies

Melanoplus differentialis differentialis (Thomas, 1865)

Differential Locust
Melanoplus differentialis differentialis (Thomas, 1865): melanistic morph, nymph (Chadron, Nebraska, 6 July 2020). (Otu).
Melanoplus differentialis differentialis (Thomas, 1865): melanistic morph, nymph (Chadron, Nebraska, 6 July 2020). (Otu).
Melanoplus differentialis differentialis (Thomas, 1865): Fig. 149 (after Lugger). male habitus (body length 28-34 mm). (Otu).
Melanoplus differentialis differentialis (Thomas, 1865): Fig. 87. male cercus, lateral view. (Otu).

Nomenclature (44)

  • Acridium differentiale Thomas, 1865: 450.

    Syntype; male; ea04a292-1076-4b65-b49c-6316c51e0212; United States: Illinois

  • Cyrtacanthacris diversifera Walker, 1870: 611.

    Syntype; b6bea352-97ba-4cea-b74e-31c0753ed081; deposited at: Natural History Museum, London (NHMUK); U.S.A.

  • Melanoplus differentialis differentialis (Thomas, 1865) in Latchininsky, 2019: 109-112.
  • Melanoplus differentialis (Thomas, 1865) in Otte, 2025: 397.

References (40)

  • Thomas, C. (1865) Insects injurious to vegetables in Illinois. Trans. Illinois State Agr. Soc., 5, 401–468.
  • Walker, F. (1870) Catalogue of the Specimens of Dermaptera Saltatoria in the Collection of the British Museum. London, Vol. 4, 605–809 pp. Available at http://www.archive.org/details/catalogueofspeci04britrich
  • Riley, C.V. (1873) Annual report on the noxious, beneficial and other insects of the State of Missouri, 5. Available at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/78711#page/7/mode/1up
  • Thomas, C. (1873) Part II: Acrididae of North America not found in the United States. In Report of the United States Geological Survey of the Territories. Invertebrate Paleontology. Vol. 5, pp. 191–262. Available at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/18502#page/207/mode/1up
  • Riley, C.V. (1875) Annual report on the noxious, beneficial and other insects of the State of Missouri, 7. Available at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/78711#page/358/mode/1up
  • Scudder, S.H. (1897) Revision of the Orthopteran group Melanopli (Acrididae) with special reference to North American forms. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 20(1124), 1–421. Available at http://www.archive.org/details/revisionoforthop00scudrich
  • Scudder, S.H. (1901) Alphabetical index to North American Orthoptera described in the eighteenth and nineteenth centures. Occasional Papers of the Boston Society of Natural History, 6, 1–436. Available at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/31824#page/15/mode/1up
  • Scudder, S.H. & Cockerell, T.D.A. (1902) A first list of the Orthoptera of New Mexico. Proceedings of the Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences, 9, 1–60. Available at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/88768#page/23/mode/1up
  • Caudell, A.N. (1903) Notes on Orthoptera from Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas with descriptions of new species. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 26, 775–809, Plate 55. Available at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/32571#page/903/mode/1up
  • Rehn, J.A.G. (1904) Notes on Orthoptera from Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 56, 562–575. Available at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/30096#page/612/mode/1up
  • Rehn, J.A.G. & Hebard, M. (1906) A contribution to the knowledge of the Orthoptera of Montana, Yellowstone Park, Utah and Colorado. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 58, 358–418. Available at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/30129
  • Rehn, J.A.G. (1907) Notes on Orthoptera from southern Arizona, with descriptions of new species. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 59, 24–81. Available at http://books.google.com/books?id=DY9l7J6HxsAC
  • Kirby, W.F. (1910) A Synonymic Catalogue of Orthoptera (Orthoptera Saltatoria, Locustidae vel Acridiidae). British Museum (Natural History), London, Vol. 3, Issue 2, 674 pp. Available at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/29660
  • Blatchley, W.S. (1920) Orthoptera of northeastern America with special reference to the faunas of Indiana and Florida. Nature Publishing Co., Indianapolis, 781 pp. Available at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/16768
  • Uvarov, B.P. (1925) Notes on the Orthoptera in the British Museum 4. Identification of the types of Acrididae preserved in the Museum. Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London, 72(3-4), 265–301. [1924]
  • Hebard, M. (1927) Fixation of the single types of species of Orthoptera described by Cyrus Thomas. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 79, 1–11.
  • Hebard, M. (1929) The Orthoptera of Colorado. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 81, 303–425.
  • Hebard, M. (1934) The Dermaptera and Orthoptera of Illinois. Bulletin of the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History, 20, 125–279. Available at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14760321
  • Nelsen, O.E. (1934) The development of the ovary in the grasshopper Melanoplus differentialis (Acrididae: Orthoptera). Journal of Morphology (Philadelphia), 55, 515–543, 6 pls.
  • Slifer, E.H. (1935) Morphology and development of the femoral chordotonal organs of Melanoplus differentialis (Orthoptera, Acrididae). Journal of Morphology (Philadelphia), 58, 615–637.
  • Spawn, G.B. (1935) Differential characters used in separating nymphs of the grasshopper species, Melanoplus differentialis and M. bivittatus. Proceedings of the South Dakota Academy of Science, 14, 16–18. [1928]
  • Slifer, E.H. (1940) Variations in the spermatheca of two species of grasshoppers (Orthoptera, Acrididae). Entomological News, 51, 1–3, 2 pls. Available at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/20181#page/403/mode/1up
  • Roberts, H.R. (1942) Two subspecies of Melanoplus differentialis and related new species from Mexico, with discussion on their variations (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Cyrtacanthacridinae). Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 68(3), 151–166, 2 pls. Available at http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=5077659_227_002
  • Vickery, V.R. & Kevan, D.K.M.E. (1967) Records of the orthopteroid insects in Ontario. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Ontario, 97, 13–68. Available at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/139986#page/423/mode/1up
  • Otte, D. (1970) A comparative study of communicative behavior in grasshoppers. Miscellaneous Publications Museum of Zoology University of Michigan, 141, 1–168. Available at http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/56385
  • For Overseas Pest Research, C. (1982) The Locust and Grasshopper Agricultural Manual. Centre for Overseas Pest Research, London, 690 pp.
  • Vickery, V.R. & Kevan, D.K.M.E. (1986) The grasshoppers, crickets, and related insects of Canada and adjacent regions. Ulonata: Dermaptera, Cheleutoptera, Notoptera, Dictuoptera, Grylloptera, and Orthoptera. The Insects and Arachnids of Canada, 14, 1–918. Available at http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2016/aac-aafc/agrhist/A42-42-1985-14-eng.pdf
  • Pfadt, R.E. (1988) Field guide to common western grasshoppers. Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin, 912, 1–25 + 68 pp.
  • Lockwood, J.A. & Schell, S.P. (1994) Perceptual, developmental, experiential, and physiological parameters of swimming in Melanopline grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae). Journal of Insect Behavior, 7(2), 183–198.
  • Bland, R.G. (2003) The Orthoptera of Michigan: Biology, Keys, and Descriptions of Grasshoppers, Katydids, and Crickets. Michigan State University Extension, 220 pp.
  • Capinera, J.L., Scott, R.D. & Walker, T.J. (2004) Field Guide to Grasshoppers, Katydids, and Crickets of the United States. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, 249 pp.
  • Kirk, K. & Bomar, C.R. (2005) Guide to the Grasshoppers of Wisconsin. In Guide to the Grasshoppers of Wisconsin. Bureau of Integrated Science Services, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison.
  • Rivera García, E. (2006) An annotated checklist of some orthopteroid insects of Mapimi Biosphere Reserve (Chihuahuan desert), Mexico. Acta Zoologica Mexicana, nueva serie, 22(3), 131–149. Available at http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=57522311
  • Capinera, J.L. (2008) Differential Grasshopper, Melanoplus differentialis (Thomas) (Orthoptera: Acrididae). In Encyclopedia of Entomology. Vol. 4, 1218–1221 pp.
  • Barrientos-Lozano, L., Medina, R.F. & Rocha-Sánchez, A.Y. (2009) Contribution to geographic distribution of some Mexican Melanoplinae and description of a new species. Journal of Orthoptera Research, 18(1), 37–50. Available at http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1665/034.018.0101
  • Barrientos-Lozano, L., Rocha-Sánchez, A.Y., Buzzetti, F.M., Méndez-Gómez, B.R. & Horta-Vega, J.V. (2013) Saltamontes y esperanzas del noreste de México (Insecta: Orthoptera). Guía ilustrada. Ciudad de México, 388 pp.
  • Heads, S.W. & Wang, Y. (2013) First fossil record of Melanoplus differentialis (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Melanoplinae). Entomological News, 123(1), 33–37.
  • Salas Araiza, M.D., Mackay, W.P., Valdez-Carrasco, J., Salazar-Solís, E. & Martínez-Jaime, O.A. (2013) Characterization and comparison of the eggs of seven species of Mexican grasshoppers. Southwestern Entomologist, 38(2), 267–274.
  • Latchininsky, A.V. (2019) Differential Grasshopper Melanoplus differentialis (Thomas, 1865) (Acrididae). In Encyclopedia of Pest Orthoptera of the World. China Agricultural University Press, Beijing. pp. 109–112.
  • Otte, D. (2025) Melanoplus species of Baja California, Mexico (Acrididae, Melanoplinae). Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 151(3), 393–426. https://doi.org/10.3157/061.151.0302

Descendants and synonyms

Gender, form, and etymology

Stats

Summary of taxonomic names by rank, showing valid extant names, fossil names, invalid names, and total counts.
TaxonValid names
RankExtantFossilInvalidTotal
Subspecies10910