Msstate Logo

Grasshoppers of Georgia (species list)
JoVonn G. Hill

The state of Georgia has the second most diverse and unique grasshopper faunas in the southeastern United States. At prestent, 90 taxa have been documented in the state. Five of these species are endemic to Georgia, and two species may be considered near endemics, being found in Georgia and just across adjacent state lines (Hill and Dakin 2011).  This diversity is due, in part, to the abundance of terrestrial habitats found in Georgia, Wharton (1978) lists 65, and the rich geologic history of the region. Given the state's diversity of habitats and rich fauna, Georgia has long been the focus of grasshopper taxonomists.  Samuel Morse, James Rehn, Morgan Hebard and Theodore Hubbell made extensive collections in the state during the early 20th Century.  Morgan Hebard, in particular, had close ties to Georgia, as his family had a winter home in Thomasville, Georgia, which likely served as a base for the Rehn and Hebard (1904) article on the Orthoptera of Thomas County, Georgia and Leon County, Florida.  Additionally, the Hebard family owned a tract of almost 500 square miles of Okefinokee Swamp, which was ultimately acquired by the United States Government for the establishment of a wildlife preserve (Rehn 1948).

As part of an ongoing study of the grasshopper fauna of the southeastern U.S., reliable literature records were gathered to identify what species had been previously documented from each state. The annotated list below contains 90 taxa that have been documented in Georgia followed by whether specimens from the state are present in the Mississippi Entomological Museum (MEM) and the literature records documenting the species in the state. This list will be updated with more literature and species records as the fauna of Georgia is studied more intently and to reflect taxonomic changes. 

The list is currently arranged taxonomically by subfamily and then alphabetically within each subfamily.  Taxonomy follows Eades et al. (2010)

Gomphocerinae
Achurum carinatum (Walker): MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Blatchley 1920, Strohecker 1939, Otte 1981
Amblytropidia mysteca (Saussure): MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Otte 1981
Dichromorpha elegans (Morse): MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Otte 1981
Dichromorpha viridis (Scudder): MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, USDA 1956, Otte 1981
Eritettix simplex (Scudder): MEM, Morse 1904b,Morse 1907, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Allard 1916, Blatchley 1920, USDA 1956, Hill 2009
Mermiria bivittata (Serville): Scudder 1899, Rehn and Hebard 1916, USDA 1957, Otte 1981
Mermiria intertexta Scudder: MEM, Scudder 1899, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Blatchley 1920, Otte 1981
Mermiria picta (Walker): MEM, Scudder 1877, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Blatchley 1920, Otte 1981
Orphulella pelidna (Burmeister): MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Morse 1907, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Allard 1916, USDA 1957, Otte 1981, Hill 2009
Syrbula admirabilis (Uhler): MEM, Morse 1904b, Morse 1907, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Allard 1916, USDA 1957, Otte 1981, Hill 2009


Acridinae
Metaleptea brevicornis (Johannson): MEM, Morse 1904b,Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Allard 1916, Otte 1981, Donato and Cigliano 2000


Oedipodinae
Arphia granulata (Sassure): Rehn and Hebard 1904, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Blatchley 1920, Otte 1984
Arphia sulphurea  (Fabricius): MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Morse 1907, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Allard 1916, Otte 1984, Hill 2009
Arphia xanthoptera (Burmeister): MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Allard 1916, Otte 1984
Chortophaga austrailor Rehn & Hebard: MEM, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Blatchley 1920, Otte 1984, Hill 2009
Chortophaga viridifasciata (DeGeer): MEM, Morse 1904b, Morse 1907, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Allard 1916, Blatchley 1920, USDA 1956, Otte 1984
Dissosteira carolina  (Linnaeus): MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Morse 1907, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Allard 1916, USDA 1956,Otte 1984
Hippiscus ocelote (Saussure): MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Morse 1907, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Allard 1916, USDA 1956, Otte 1984
Pardalophora phoenicoptera (Burmeister): MEM, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Morse 1907, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, USDA 1957, Otte 1984, Hill 2009
Psinidia fenestralis (Serville): MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Otte 1984, Hill 2009
Spharagemon bolli Scudder: MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Morse 1907, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Allard 1916, USDA 1957, Otte 1984, Hill 2009
Spharagemon crepitans (Saussure): :Saussure 1884, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Blatchley 1920, Otte 1984.
Spharagemon cristatum (Scudder): MEM, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Blatchley 1920, USDA 1957, Otte 1984, Hill 2009
Spharagemon marmorata picta (Scudder): MEM, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Strohecker 1939, Otte 1984, Hill 2009
Trachyrhachys kiowa  (Thomas): Morse 1904b, Blatchley 1920, USDA 1957
Trimerotropis maritima (Harris): MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Morse 1907, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Allard 1916, USDA 1957, Otte 1984, Hill 2009
Trimerotropis saxatalis McNeil: MEM, Morse 1904b, Morse 1907, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Blatchley 1920, Strohecker 1939, Otte 1984


Leptysminane
Leptysma marginicollis marginicollis (Serville): MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Rehn and Eades 1961
Stenacris vitreipennis (Marschall): MEM, Marschall 1836, Morse 1904b,Rehn and Hebard 1904, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Rehn and Eades 1961, Roberts 1978


Cyrtacanthacridinae
Schistocerca alutacea (Harris): MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Hubbell 1960, Song 2004, Hill 2009
Schistocerca americana (Drury): MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Morse 1907, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Allard 1916, USDA 1957, Hill 2009
Schistocerca damnifica (Saussure): MEM, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Allard 1916, Hill 2009
Schistocerca lineata Scudder: Song 2004
Schistocerca obscura (Fabricius): Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Blatchley 1920, USDA 1957, Song 2004
Schistocerca rubiginosa (Harris): MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Hubbell 1960,  Song 2004


Melanoplinae
Aptenopedes aptera borealis Hebard: MEM, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Hebard 1936
Aptenopedes sphenariodes apalachee Hebard: MEM, Hebard: Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Hebard 1936
Campylacantha olivacea (Scudder): Rehn and Hebard 1916, USDA 1956
Dendrotettix australis (Morse): MEM
Eotettix hebardi Rehn: Rehn 1906, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Blatchley 1920
Eotettix palustris Morse: MEM
Eotettix pusillus
Morse: MEM, Morse 1904a, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Strohecker 1939, Hill 2009
Gymnoscirtetes pusillus Scudder: MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Rehn and Hebard 1916
Hesperotettix floriidensis Morse: MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1916
Hesperotettix viridis brevipennis (Thomas): MEM, Morse 1904b, Morse 1907, Rehn and Hebard 1916, USDA 1956
Melanoplus acidocercus Hebard: MEM, Hebard 1919, Strohecker 1939
Melanoplus acrophilus Hebard: Otte 2002
Melanoplus angustipennis (Dodge): MEM, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Hill 2009
Melanoplus attenuatus Scudder: Rehn and Hebard 1916
Melanoplus australis Morse: MEM, Morse 1904a, Rehn and Hebard 1916
Melanoplus bispinosus Scudder: MEM, Hill 2009
Melanoplus bivitttatus (Say):  Morse 1904b, Morse 1907, Allard 1916,
Melanoplus carnegiei Morse: MEM, Morse 1904a, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Hill 2009
Melanoplus celatus Morse: Rehn and Hebard 1916, Hebard 1937
Melanoplus cherokee Hebard: Hebard 1935, Otte 2002
Melanoplus clypeatus (Scudder): Scudder 1877, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Otte 2012
Melanoplus deceptus Morse: Morse 1904b, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Otte 2002
Melanoplus decoratus Morse: MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1916
Melanoplus delaware Hebard: MEM, Hebard 1935
Melanoplus devius Morse: Rehn and Hebard 1916
Melanoplus differentialis differentialis (Thomas): MEM,
Melanoplus divergens Morse: Hebard 1937
Melanoplus femurrubrum (DeGeer): Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1916, USDA 1956, Dakin 1985
Melanoplus foxi Hebard: Hebard 1923, Hubbell 1932, Strohecker 1939
Melanoplus furcatus Scudder: Rehn and Hebard 1916, Otte 2012
Melanoplus hubbelli Hebard: Hebard 1935, Otte 2002
Melanoplus impudicus Scudder: Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Gurney 1941
Melanoplus keeleri luridus (Dodge): MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904,Rehn and Hebard 1916, USDA 1956
Melanoplus longicornis Saussure: Saussure 1861, Hebard 1935, Otte 2002
Melanoplus nigrescens (Scudder): MEM, Scudder 1877, Rehn and Hebard 1916
Melanoplus pegasus Hebard: Hebard 1919
Melanoplus propinquus Scudder: MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Dakin 1985, Hill 2009
Melanoplus punctulatus arboreus Scudder: Rehn and Hebard 1916
Melanoplus punctulatus punctulatus (Scudder): Rehn and Hebard 1916, Allard 1916
Melanoplus rotundipennis (Scudder): MEM, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Hubbell 1932
Melanoplus sanguinipes vulturnus Gurney and Brooks: MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Morse 1907, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Allard 1916, USDA 1957, Gurney and Brooks 1959
Melanoplus scapularis Rehn and Hebard: MEM, Rehn and Hebard 1916
Melanoplus scudderi (Uhler): MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Allard 1916, USDA 1957
Melanoplus stegocercus Rehn and Hebard: MEM, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Hill 2009
Melanoplus strumosus Morse: Morse 1907, Rehn and Hebard 1916
Melanoplus tumidicercus Hubbell: MEM, Hubbell 1932
Melanoplus tribulus Morse: Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1916
Melanoplus quercicola Hebard: MEM, Hill 2009
Melanoplus querneus Rehn and Hebard: Rehn and Hebard 1916
Melanoplus walshii Scudder: Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1916
Paroxya atlantica Scudder: MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916
Paroxya clavuliger (Serville): MEM, Morse 1904b, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Rehn and Hebard 1910, Rehn and Hebard 1916
Paroxya hoosieri (Blatchley): MEM
Paroxya recta Scudder: Scudder 1877


Romaleidae
Romalea microptera (Beauvois): MEM, Rehn and Hebard 1904, Morse 1907, Rehn and Hebard 1916, Blatchley 1920, Rehn and Grant 1959, Rehn and Grant 1961

Literature Cited


Allard, H. A. 1916.  Some northern Georgia Acrididae. The Canadian Entomologist 48: 274-279.

Blatchley, W. S.  1920.  The Orthoptera of Northeastern America: With Special Reference to the Faunas of Indiana and Florida. Nature Publishing Company, Indianapolis, In. 784p.

Eades, D. C., D. Otte, M. M. Cigliano, and H. Brau. 2010. Orthoptera Species File Online. Version 2.0/4.0. Accessed February 2011. <http://Orthoptera.SpeciesFile.org>

Dakin, M. E. 1985. A review of the Melanoplus femur-rubrum group (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Melanoplinae) in the southeastern United States. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 111: 385-398.

Donato, M, and M. M. Cigliano. 2000. Revision of the Genus Metaleptea Bruner von Wattenwyl (Orthoptera; Acrididae; Hyalopterygini) Transactions of the American Entomological Society 126: 145-173.

Gurney, A. B. 1941. Taxonomic and bionomic notes on the grasshopper Melanoplus impudicus Scudder (Orthoptera: Acrididae) The American Midland Naturalist 26: 558-569.

Gurney, A. B. and A. R. Brooks. 1959. Grasshoppers of the Mexicanus group, genus Melanoplus (Orthoptera: Acrididiae). Proceedings of the United States National Museum 110: 1-93.

Hebard, M 1919. New Genera and species of Melanopli found within the United States and Canada (Orthoptera: Acrididae) Part II. Transactions of the American Entomological Society. 257-298.

Hebard, M. 1923. An interesting new species of the genus Melanoplus from central Georgia (Orthoptera, Acrididae). Entomological News  34:260-263.

Hebard, M. 1935. New Genera and species of Melanopli found within the United States and Canada (Orthoptera: Acrididae) Parts V-VI. Transactions of the American Entomological Society. 60:

Hebard, M. 1936. New genera and species of the Melanopli found within the United States and Canada (Orthoptera: Acrididae) parts VII and XVII.  Transactions of the American Entomological Society. 62: 167- 222.

Hebard, M. 1937.  New Genera and species of Melanopli found within the United States and Canada (Orthoptera: Acrididae). Parts X to XIV: The Saltator group, the Femur-nigrum group (supplement), the Indigens group (Supplement), The Mancus and Texanus group of the genus Melanoplus. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 63:147-173.

Hill, J. G. 2009. The grasshopper (Orthoptera: Acrididae) fauna of sand dunes along the Little Ohoopee River, Emanuel County, Georgia, USA. Journal of Orthoptera Research 18: 29-35.

Hill, J. G. and M. E. Dakin. 2011. An annotated list of the grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae, Romaleidae) of the southeastern United States. Midsouth Entomologist 4 (2): 39-48. [available online at: http://midsouthentomologist.org.msstate.edu/Volume4/Vol4_2_html_files/Vol4_2_002.html

Hubbell, T. H. 1932. A revision of the Puer group of the North American genus Melanoplus, with remarks on the taxonomic value of the concealed male genitalia in the Cyrtacanthacrinae. (Orthoptera, Acrididae). University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Miscellaneous Publication 23. 64 pp.

Hubbell, T. H. 1960. The sibling species of the Alutacea Group of the bird-locust genus Schistocerca (Orthoptera: Cyrtacanthacridinae). Miscellaneous Publication of the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology 116: 1-91.

Marchall, G. A. V. 1836. Decas Orthopterorum – Annalen des Weiner Museums der Naturgeschichte, 1: 207-214.

Morse, A. P. 1904a. New Acridiidae from the southern states. Psyche 11: 7-13

Morse, A. P. 1904b. Researches on North American Acrididae.  Carnegie Institute of Washington publication 18. 1-55. ill

Morse, A. P. 1907. Further researches on North American Acrididae.  Carnegie             Institute of Washington publication 68. 1-54. ill

Otte, D. 1981. The North American Grasshoppers Volume 1: Acrididae: Gomphocerinae and Acridinae. Harvard University Press. Cambrigde, 275 pp,

Otte, D. 1984. The North American Grasshoppers Volume II. Harvard University Press. Cambrigde. 366 pp.

Otte, D. 2002. Studies of Melanoplus. 1. Review of the Viridipes group (Acrididae: Melanoplinae). Journal of Orthoptera Research 11: 91-118.

Otte, D. 2012. Eighty new species of Melanoplus from the United States. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 138: 73-167.

Rehn, J.A.G. 1906. A new species of Eotettix (Acrididae) from Georgia. Entomological News. 17:234-237

Rehn, J. A. G. 1948. Morgan Hebard (1887-1946). Entomological News 49: 57-69.

Rehn, J. A. G. and D. C. Eades. 1961.  The tribe Leptysmimi (Orthoptea; Acrididae; Cyrtacanthacridinae) as found in North America and Mexico. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 113. 81-134.

Rehn, J. A. G. and H. J. Grant. 1959. A review of the Romaleinae (Orthoptera: Acrididae) found in America north of Mexico. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 111: 109-271.

Rehn, J. A. G. and H. J. Grant. 1961. A Monograph of the Orthoptera of North American (North of Mexico) Volume I. Monographs of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 12: 1-257.

Rehn, J. A. G. and M. Hebard 1904. The Orthoptera of Thomas County, Georgia and Leon County, Florida. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 56: 774-808.

Rehn, J. A. G. and M. Hebard 1910. Records of Georgia and Florida Orthoptera with the description of new species and subspecies. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 62: 585-598

Rehn J. A. G. and M. Hebard. 1916.  Studies in the Dermaptera and Orthoptera of the Coastal Plain and Piedmont region of the southeastern United States. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.  87: 87-314.

Roberts, H, R. 1978. Revision of the tribe Leptysmini except the genus Cylindrotettix (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Leptysminae) Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences Philadelphia 129: 33-69.

Saussure. 1861. Orthoptera nova americana (Diagnoses praeliminares). II. Revue et Magasin de Zoologie Pure et Appliquée. 2: 156-164.

Saussure H. 1884. Prodromus oedipodiorum insectorum ex ordine orthopterorum .  Memoris of the Society  of Physics, History, and Nature of Geneva 28: 1-254.

Scudder, S. H. 1877. A century of Orthoptera. Decade vii. — Acrydii.   Proceedings of    the Boston Society of Natural History 19:2 27-35.

Scudder, S. H. 1899. Short studies of North American Tryxalinae. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Science. 35:  41-57.

Song, H. 2004. Revision of the Alutacea group of genus Schistocerca (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Cyrtacanthacridinae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 97: 420-436.

Strohecker, H. F. 1939. Distributional and taxonomic notes on Southeastern Dermaptera and Orthoptera, and a new species of Cycloptilum (Gryllidae). The Canadian Entomologist 71:169-171.

USDA. 1956. Cooperative economic insect report. 56: 597-1150.

USDA 1957. Cooperative economic insect report 7:50-480.

Wharton, C. H.  1989.  The Natural Environments of Georgia. Georgia Department of Natural Resources Bulletin 114. pp. 1-227.

LAST UPDATED 2-2013