Eastern Lubber Grasshopper (Romalea microptera )

Naples Botanical Gardens

Southwest Florida

USA

 

See the first comment section for a closer look at the grasshopper.

 

Romalea is a genus of grasshoppers native to the Southeastern and South-central United States. Its single species is Romalea microptera, known commonly as the eastern lubber grasshopper, Florida lubber, or Florida lubber grasshopper.

 

It is the most distinctive grasshopper species within the Southeastern US, and is well known for its size and its unique coloration. It can reach nearly 3 inches (8 cm) in size.

 

It is the type genus and species of the relatively new family Romaleidae and tribe Romaleini, and was long known as Romalea microptera before being moved to Romalea guttata. After new research, though, the remaining names (including guttata) have been marked as nomina oblita and microptera takes priority once more.

 

R. microptera inhabits regions west of North Carolina to Tennessee, in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas, and throughout Florida, Missouri, and Arizona. They live in open pinewoods, weedy vegetation, and weedy fields. - Wikipedia

 

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