Orthoptera of North Carolina
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View Acrididae Members: NC Records

Dichromorpha elegans (Morse, 1896) - Elegant Grasshopper


Male
Taxonomy
Family: Acrididae Subfamily: Gomphocerinae Tribe: OrphulelliniSynonym: Clinocephalus elegans
Comments: One of four members of this New World genus, three of which occur in North America north of Mexico (Cignlano et al., 2018), and two in North Carolina
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Capinera et al. (2004)Online Photographs: BugGuide, Google Images,  iNaturalist, GBIFTechnical Description, Adults/Nymphs: Blatchley (1920); Otte (1981)                                                                                  
Comments: A small, greenish to brownish Slant-faced Grasshopper. Females are mostly all green or brown but males are often green on the dorsal surfaces and pale brown on their sides (Otte, 1981). The lateral carinae of the pronotum are white with no dark markings located medially but bordered with a dark stripe on the lower sides; in some cases this stripe is part of a dark streak that extends from behind the eye to at least the tegmina or all the way along the body to the end of the abdomen. Dichromorpha viridis is similar in size, coloration, and length of wings but usually lacks this stripe and also possesses morphological differences (described below).
Total Length [body plus wings; excludes ovipositor]: 17-20,5 mm, males; 21-28 mm, females (Blatchley, 1920)
Structural Features: The lateral carinae of the pronotum are usually straight rather than indented and in elegans they are cut by one sulcus whereas in D. viridis, they are crossed by two. The length of the tegmina vary, but are usually shorter than the abdomen or hind femora; occasionally, long-winged forms are seen (Blatchley, 1920).
Singing Behavior: Apparently no stridulation has been observed in this species (not mentioned in Blatchley, 1920, or Otte, 1970, 1981)
Distribution in North Carolina
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Adult Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Associated with wet grasslands. Most of our records come from Wet Pine Savannas or Sandhill Seeps. It is also found in Tidewater marshes, probably most commonly in freshwater habitats (Blatchley, 1920).
Diet: Probably feeds on wetland graminoids
Observation Methods: Best found by walking through its habitat and flushing individuals into making short jumps.
Abundance/Frequency: Occurs regularly in the right habitats but usually not in high densities
Adult Phenology: Adults appear in July and persist until at least October
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 [S3S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands
Comments: This species has a narrow range within the state and is relatively specialized in habitats, some of which -- Longleaf Pine Savannas, Carolina Bays, and Sandhill Seeps -- have undergone major declines in range since European settlement. Coastal marshes, especially freshwater variants, are likely to be severely affected by sea level rise and saltwater intrusion. Nonetheless, it still occurs regularly in the remaining areas of it habitats and appears to be at least moderately secure within the state.

Image Gallery for Dichromorpha elegans - Elegant Grasshopper

Recorded by: Mark Shields
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Shields
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Stephen Hall, Bo Sullivan, Arno Schadt
New Hanover Co.
Comment: Several seen in marsh grasses along the Cape Fear River.