Montana Field Guide

Taken from Hebard (1928), Brooks (1958), Helfer (1971), Vickery and Kevan (1985), Pfadt (2002), Capinera et al. (2004), Brust et al. (2008). A rather colorful, medium sized species, with a body color of brown, rusty brown dorsally, and yellow ventrally. The outer face of the hind femur possesses a blackish stripe dorsally, which narrows toward the knee and is not cut with any light bands, and is yellow below. The hind tibia is red, with lower black spines. The wings (tegmina) extend to or beyond the abdominal tip and have a row of dark spots.

The Keeler's Spur-throat Grasshopper is a late hatching species. Overwinters in the egg stage. The nymphs hatch from early to late June. Adults are common in late July and early August to October, sometimes into November, depending upon weather (Brust et al. 2008, Capinera et al. 2004, Scott 2010, Vickery and Kevan 1985).

the following comes from Hebard (1928), Brooks (1958), Helfer (1971), Vickery and Kevan (1985), Pfadt (2002), Capinera et al. (2004), Brust et al. (2008), and Scott (2010). Male body length 17 to 29 mm, females 19 to 38 mm. The most distinctive diagnostic characteristic is the male’s genital cercus. It is bifurcate (distinctively forked) with the dorsal arm large, broad, rounded at the apex and the ventral arm slender and pointed.

This species is distinctive among the Melanoplus genera, but always examine the male genitalia for identification certainty. There are two recognized subspecies of M. keeleri. M. keeleri in the southeastern U.S. and M. keeleri luridus in the west (Hebard 1928, and Brooks 1958).

This species inhabits a wide variety of grassland types. It is common in the tallgrass and taller mixed grass prairies, often near forests, and usually on sandy and gravelly soils.

The Keeler's Spur-throat Grasshopper feeds on a wide variety of forbs. Studies reveal that a minimum of 52 species are consumed, belonging to 17 plant families, plus 7 species of grasses and sedges. Forbs include western ragweed, (Ambrosia psilostachya), white sagebrush, (Artemisia ludoviciana), Missouri goldenrod, (Solidago missouriensis), Scurfpea, Aster, Sunflowers, prickly lettuce, (Lactuca serriola), scarlet globemallow, (Sphaeralcea coccinea), to name just a few. May feed on apple and plum trees (Brust et al. 2008, and Pfadt 2002).

Nymphs pass through 5 instars over about 46 days. Courtship in this species is brief. The duration of copulation is unknown. Egg pod contain 20 to 22 eggs per pod (Pfadt 2002).