6. "Sway-backed" hoppers (M. sanguinipes, M. brunnei, and
M. spretus).
a. Males with a meso-sternal hump between mesothoracic legs.
b. Pronotum with a deep transverse sulcus giving a "sway-backed" appearance in lateral view (one exception).
c. Ovipositor with angle of dorsal valvula > 90o
A. Wings projecting beyond abdomen in males by more than length of pronotum, male supra-anal plate trilobate (species extinct).
B. Wings shorter, male supra-anal plate shield-like.
a. Sway-backed, furculae strongly divergent and less than 1/2 length of supra-anal plate, hind tibiae red, blue, yellowish, or brown; a common cropland and rangeland species.
a.’ Not sway-backed, furculae directed posteriad, about 1/2 length of supra-anal plate, hind tibiae almost always red.
7. "Spatulate" hoppers (M. packardi, M. foedus, M. stonei, and M. angustipennis).
a. Cercus of male expanded at base and apex, narrowed medially, apex spatulate.
b. Outer face of hind femur without a strong transverse banding pattern.
c. Dorsal valvula with an angle of 90o..
d. General coloration pale (post ocular band not black) or with two pale dorsal stripes from eye to end of pronotum.
A. Male sub-anal plate with a bilobed or truncate apex; dorsum may have a poorly defined pale stripe above each post ocular band. Female cercus about twice as long as broad and weakly upturned.
B. Male sub-anal plate with a tubercle– in posterior view, plate triangular with a rounded apex; dorsum with two pale stripes which end abruptly at wings.
a. Hind tibiae blue (rarely pink in females). Aedeagus without a projecting sclerotized hook. A species of cropland and disturbed ground.
a.’ Hind tibiae red or pink (very rarely lavender to bluish). Aedeagus with a projecting sclerotized hook. Species associated with sandy soils.
b. Hind tibiae pink (rarely lavender to bluish).
b.’ Hind tibiae red.
Melanoplus stonei
8.
Red-shanked hoppers (M. femurrubrum, M. borealis, M.
punctulatus, M. fasciatus,
M. gladstoni, and M. keeleri).
a. Hind tibiae red, orange, or purple.
b. Males lacking characters of other groups.
c. Dorsal valvulae of female with angle of >90o.
A. Furculae at least 1/3 length of supra-anal plate, outer face of hind femur usually gradually darker towards apex, without transverse bands.
a. Supra-anal plate trilobate, sub-anal plate with lateral lobes higher than apex, female cercus triangular and weakly concave above and below, femur gradually darkening from base to apex; a common cropland and disturbed ground species.
a.’ Supra-anal plate shield-like, sub-anal plate not as above, female cercus concave on dorsal edge only, hind femur dull yellow on outer face. A northern species of damp areas.
B. Furculae appear as small tubercles or lacking, outer face of hind femur conspicuously banded.
a. Male cercus thumb-like, furculae small and triangular, female cercus triangular.
b. Male cercus concave above, nearly straight below. Hind femur with ventral edge flattened near base, median dark band of outer face connected to subapical dark band.
b.’ Male cercus concave above and below. Hind femur with both edges evenly rounded, median dark band of outer face connected to basal dark band.
a.’ Male cercus much broader distad, ‘ear-like’ or ‘mitten-like’ in shape, furculae very small or absent, female cercus with apex truncate or acute and upturned.
b. Male cercus ‘mitten-like’, female cercus triangular and upturned. Outer face of hind femur with dark bands merging along midline. Species associated with sandy soils in open country.
b.’ Male cercus ‘ear-like’, female cercus truncate at apex. Outer face of hind femur with separate alternateing dark and light transverse bands. Species associated with oak savannah.
9. Blue-shanked hoppers
(M.
confusus, M. bowditchii, M. flavidus,
M. kennicotti
and M. occidentalis).
a. Hind tibiae blue.
b. Male cercus ‘ear-shaped’ or upturned.
A. Furculae at least 1/2 length of supra-anal plate, male cercus more than 3x as long as greatest width beyond base, ventral margin nearly straight, female with dorsal valvulae with angle < 90o.
a. Furculae with apex angulate, sub-anal plate in posterior view weakly convex. Aedeagus without a sclerotized subapical hook.
a.’ Furculae with apex spatulate, sub-anal plate with a median bulge in posterior view. Aedeagus with a sclerotized subapical hook.
B. Furcae small and triangular, male cercus with ventral margin evenly rounded or angulate, female with dorsal valvulae angled usually > 90o.
a. Ventral margin of male cercus angulate, dorsal valvulae with angle < 90o, adults appear in spring and early summer.
a’. Ventral margin of male cercus evenly rounded, dorsal valvulae angled > 90o, adults from mid-summer to autumn.
b. Hind femur bright orange to red below and on inner face, male cercus an 'ear-like' flap, sub-anal plate in posterior view with median bulge.
b.’ Hind femur yellow below and on inner face, male cercus upturned, sub-anal plate in posterior view bilobed.
Melanoplus kennicottii
10. Little hoppers (M. infantilis, and M. alpinus).
a. Cercus ‘shoe-like’ downturned with an elongate toe.
b. Males smaller than 2 cm.
A. Cercus of male with ‘toe’ nearly straight, sub-anal plate in posterior view triangular with apex rounded, dorsal valvulae with area anterior to scoop convex, hind tibiae blue-gray, a common rangeland species.
B. Cercus of male with ‘toe’ recurved, sub-anal plate in posterior view truncate with bilobed apex, dorsal valvulae with area anterior to scoop straight, a species of foothills and mountain parklands.
Melanoplus alpinus