Orthoptera of North Carolina
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View Acrididae Members: NC Records

Melanoplus sylvestris Morse, 1904 - Woodland Short-winged Grasshopper

Taxonomy
Family: Acrididae Subfamily: Melanoplinae Tribe: MelanopliniSynonym: Melanoplus islandicus sylvestris
Comments: Melanoplus is our largest genus of Orthopterans, with over 350 species occurring in North America (Cigliano et al., 2017). 38 species have been recorded in North Carolina.
Species Status: The type locality is Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Hebard (1937) considered sylvestris to be a synonym of M. celatus and a member of the Mancus Species Group. Cigliano et al. (2018), however, treat sylvestris as separate from both celatus and islandicus, all three of which were regarded as closely related by Morse 1904a,b), but they include only islandicus in the Mancus Species Group.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: BugGuide, Google Images,  iNaturalist, GBIFTechnical Description, Adults/Nymphs: Morse (1904a); Blatchley (1920)                                                                                  
Comments: A small three-toned brachypterous (flightless) Melanoplus. The dorsal surface is dark brown, bordered below by a black post-ocular stripe that extends to the metazona, with a continuation onto the sides of the mesonota and along the sides of the abdomen. The lower part of the head and lateral lobes of the pronotum are ivory white. The hind tibiae are red. Melanoplus celatus is similar in pattern and coloration and can be identified only on the basis of the male reproductive structures (but see below).
Structural Features: Morse (1904a,b) distinguished sylvestris, islandicus, and celatus based on the shape of the male cerci (those of sylvestris and celatus illustrated in Morse, 1904b, Fig.s 2 and 3). In sylvestris, the base of the cercus is narrower and the distal half is bent upwards and drawn out into a substyliform tip, whereas in celatus, it is broader at the base, not bent upwards, and is flattened at the tip. Both Blatchley (1920) and Hebard (1937), however, noted the wide range of variation in this group in the form of the cerci, furculae, and other male reproductive structures. Hebard also did not find any significant differences between sylvestris and celatus in the internal reproductive structures and figures given by Otte (in Cigliano et al., 2018) illustrate the wide variation just within sylvestris. Currently, we are not aware that there are any conclusive characters that can be used to distinguish these species, but our specimens seem at least to conform to the differences in cerci originally described by Morse.
Nymphal Stages and Development: Undescribed
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: Morse (1904b) describes this species as inhabiting "cold deciduous forests" in the Transition Zone. Our Piedmont record, however, indicates that it can also occur at lower elevations.
Diet: Undescribed but Morse (1904b) states that it is found in shrubby or herbaceous areas.
Observation Methods: Best found by walking through its habitat and flushing individuals into making short jumps
Abundance/Frequency: We do not have enough information to determine the frequency of occurrence or abundance of this species in North Carolina
Adult Phenology: Adult records all come from the summer
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: SR
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G1G3 S3?
State Protection: Considered Significantly Rare by the Natural Heritage Program. That designation, however, does not confer any legal protection and insects in general are not covered by the state's Endangered and Threatened Wildlife Act. Permits are required to collect this species on state park lands, game lands, and other protected natural areas.
Comments: We currently have fewer than 10 records for this species in North Carolina, all but one of which are historic. Populations in the Mountains appear to be somewhat specialized in terms of habitat but the recent discovery of this species in the Piedmont suggests that it occupies a wider range of habitats than previously thought. More information is needed to determine its current status within the state and DNA analysis is probably needed to clarify its taxonomic status.

Image Gallery for Melanoplus sylvestris - Woodland Short-winged Grasshopper

Recorded by: J. Edward Corey III; B. Bockhahn; S. Koch
Stokes Co.
Comment: Determined by J. Hill