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Dactylotum Bicolor

By Eric on October 7, 2008 in ,
Painted Grasshopper (Dactylotum Bicolor)

Painted Grasshopper (Dactylotum Bicolor)

Picture Copyright © 2004 Richard C. Hoyer

Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids)

Suborder Caelifera (Grasshoppers)

Family Acrididae (Short-horned Grasshoppers)

Subfamily Melanoplinae (Spur-throated Grasshoppers)

Genus Dactylotum

Species bicolor (Pictured Grasshopper)
Other Common Names
Painted Grasshopper, Rainbow Grasshopper, Barber Pole Grasshopper
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Dactylotum variegatum, Dactylotum pictum. Latter is sometimes listed as a separate species.
Size
20 mm (males), 35 mm (females)
Identification
Bold color pattern is distinctive. Hind tibiae are spiny. Wings are small.
Range
Western Great Plains of United States (and southern Canada), southward to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and into northern Mexico.
Habitat
Shortgrass praire, sparsely vegetated areas, alfalfa fields, desert grasslands.
Season
Generally August-September. June-October (New Mexico).
Food
Various low-growing forbs, some grasses(?). Rarely attacks crops.
Life Cycle
Female deposits eggs in soft soil in masses of about 100 eggs. She may lay up to twelve batches. Eggs overwinter and hatch late, usually later spring or early summer, so adults are present in late summer and into early fall. One generation per year.
Print References
Capinera p. 111, plate 22 (1)
Helfer pp. 197-198, fig. 319 (2)
Milne, pp. 418-419, fig. 259 (3)
Arnett and Jacques #21 (4)
Salsbury, p. 68 (5)
Internet References
Grasshoppers of Colorado
Forestry Images
Orthoptera of the Northern Great Plains
Grasshoppers of New Mexico
Works Cited
1. Field Guide To Grasshoppers, Katydids, And Crickets Of The United States
By John L. Capinera, Ralph D. Scott, Thomas J. Walker
2. How to Know the Grasshoppers, Cockroaches, and Their Allies
By Jacques R. Helfer
3. National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects and Spiders
By Lorus and Margery Milne
4. Simon & Schuster’s Guide to Insects
By Dr. Ross H. Arnett, Dr. Richard L. Jacques
5. Insects in Kansas
By Glenn A. Salsbury and Stephan C. White
Contributed by Cotinis on 14 September, 2005 – 9:04am
Last updated 14 September, 2005 – 7:17pm
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One Response

  1. Pages tagged "grasshopper"
    Pages tagged "grasshopper"
    October 7, 2008 at 5:06 pm |

    [...] bookmarks tagged grasshopper Update saved by 5 others     namine93 bookmarked on 10/07/08 | [...]

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