Keeler’s Spur-throat Grasshopper (Melanoplus keeleri) © Mathew L. Brust (iNaturalist)
Keeler’s Spur-throat Grasshopper ranges widely in North America, from the Atlantic coast to the Great Basin and from southern Canada to southern United States. It is mainly a forb feeder but will also feed on small amount of grass.
Its habitat varies: In the west it is a common inhabitant of the tallgrass prairie and the taller types of the mixedgrass prairie. In the southern states it is common in the undergrowth in open pine woods and among grasses and low shrubs of open woodlands. In Michigan habitat is mixed grass-herbaceous and open sunny oak-hickory woodland.
The Melanoplus keeleri identified in Vermont by Ross T. Bell are of subspecies luridus – Melanoplus keeleri luridus (Dodge, 1876) with conservation status G5T5.
Conservation Status
Vermont:
Global: G5
Phenology
Adults of Keeler’s Spur-throat Grasshopper do not appear until rather late in the summer, generally latter part of July in the mixed grass prairie of north central Colorado. At lower elevations they will appear earlier in July.
Adults numbers peak in mid August, then gradually fall, though a fair number are still present in October.
More Information
- iNaturalist Species Account
- BugGuide Species Account
- Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin
- Vermont Atlas of Life Data Explorer
Vermont Distribution
- Vermont Atlas of Life on iNaturalist – Not recorded
All Records:
