Trimerotropis huroniana

Trimerotropis huroniana, known generally as the lake Huron locust or great lakes grasshopper, is a species of band-winged grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is found in Wisconsin and Michigan in the United States, and Ontario in Canada.[1][2][3][4][5]

Trimerotropis huroniana

Apparently Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Caelifera
Family: Acrididae
Tribe: Trimerotropini
Genus: Trimerotropis
Species:
T. huroniana
Binomial name
Trimerotropis huroniana
E. M. Walker, 1902

Distribution

edit

This species is endemic to the Great Lakes area, living along the shores of Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior in open dune habitats.

In Canada, where it is federally listed as Threatened under the Species At Risk Act, it is found at approximately 10 sites. This includes Pancake Bay, Manitoulin Island, and Great Duck Island.[6][7]

This species is replaced by T. maritima along parts of the southern shore of Lake Michigan with very little overlap between the two species. A similar distribution pattern was noted along the west shore of Lake Huron in the Thumb region of Michigan in the 1920s, however more recent surveys indicate neither species are present in this region in the current day.[8]

Historical populations existed at various sites including Traverse City, Wasaga Beach, Sauble Beach, and Giant Tomb's Island.[8][6]

Description

edit

Grey to brown in colour, this distinctive species ranges in size from 24 mm to 40 mm, with females generally larger than males. Its hind wings are pale yellow, black, and translucent.[7]

Biology

edit

The species has been noted to feed on plants including Ammophila brevigulata, Calamovilfa longifolia, and Artemisa campestris.[8][9]

Males court females through stridulation and display flights. Eggs are laid in the sand, where they overwinter and emerge the following spring as nymphs. The insects reach adulthood in late July to August after molting through 5 instars.[6]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Trimerotropis huroniana". NatureServe Explorer An online encyclopedia of life. 7.1. NatureServe. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Trimerotropis huroniana Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  3. ^ "Trimerotropis huroniana". GBIF. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  4. ^ Otte, Daniel; Cigliano, Maria Marta; Braun, Holger; Eades, David C. (2019). "species Trimerotropis huroniana E. M. Walker, 1902". Orthoptera species file online, Version 5.0. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
  5. ^ a b c Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canda (2016-07-08). "Lake Huron grasshopper (Trimerotropis huroniana): COSEWIC assessment and status report 2015". www.canada.ca. Environment and Climate Change Canada. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  6. ^ a b "Lake Huron Grasshopper | ontario.ca". www.ontario.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  7. ^ a b c Scholtens, Brian G.; Reznik, Joseph; Holland, Janet (2005-01-01). "Factors affecting the distribution of the threatened Lake Huron locust (Orthoptera: Acrididae)". Journal of Orthoptera Research. 14 (1): 45–52. doi:10.1665/1082-6467(2005)14[45:FATDOT]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 1082-6467.
  8. ^ Marshall, Jordan; Storer, Andrew (2007). "Presence of the "Threatened" Trimerotropis Huroniana (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in Relation to the Occurrence of Native Dune Plant Species and the Exotic Centaurea Biebersteinii". The Great Lakes Entomologist. 40 (1). doi:10.22543/0090-0222.2169. ISSN 0090-0222.