Romalea

{{short description|Genus of grasshoppers}} {{Speciesbox | image = Two_eastern_Lubber_grasshopers_(Romalea_microptera),_mating.jpg | image_caption = ''R. microptera'', mating | status = G5 | status_system = TNC | status_ref = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.119383/Romalea_microptera|title=''Romalea microptera''|website=NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer|author=NatureServe|publisher=NatureServe|location=Arlington, Virginia|access-date=10 October 2024|date=4 October 2024}}</ref> | display_parents = 4 | parent_authority = Serville, 1831 | taxon = Romalea microptera | authority = (Palisot de Beauvois, 1817) | synonyms = * ''Rhomalea gigantea'' Burmeister, 1838 * ''Romalea gloveri'' Kirby, 1910 * ''Romalea guttata'' (Stoll, 1813) * ''Romalea marci'' Serville, 1838 * ''Dictyophorus reticulatus'' (Thunberg, 1815) }}

'''''Romalea''''' is a genus of grasshoppers native to the Southeastern and South-central United States. As traditionally defined, it contains a single species, '''''Romalea microptera''''', known commonly as the '''Georgia thumper,''' '''eastern lubber grasshopper''', '''Florida lubber''', or '''Florida lubber grasshopper''', although some recent authorities regard ''Taeniopoda'' as a junior synonym, in which case there are about a dozen ''Romalea'' species in the southern United States, Mexico and Central America.<ref name=OrthopteraSpeciesfile>{{cite web| title=genus ''Romalea'' Serville, 1831 | url=http://orthoptera.speciesfile.org/Common/basic/Taxa.aspx?TaxonNameID=1115933 | website=orthoptera.speciesfile.org | access-date=11 August 2023 }}</ref>

''R. microptera'' is one of the most distinctive grasshopper species within the Southeastern US, and is well known for its relatively large size and its unique coloration.<ref name="IFAS">{{cite web|url=http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/orn/lubber.htm|title=eastern lubber grasshopper - Romalea guttata (Houttuyn)|publisher=University of Florida|date=October 1996|first1=John|last1=Capinera|first2=C. W.|last2=Scherer|access-date=March 3, 2021}}</ref>

==Taxonomy== ''Romalea'' is the type genus of the family Romaleidae and tribe Romaleini. It has been suggested that the valid name for ''Romalea microptera'' is ''Romalea guttata''.<ref>{{cite journal |author=D. K. M. Kevan |year=1980 |title=''Romalea guttata'' (Houttuyn), name change for well-known "eastern lubber grasshopper" (Orthoptera: Romaleidae) |journal=Entomological News |volume=91 |issue=4 |pages=139–140}}</ref> However, ''microptera'' has been marked as a ''nomen protectum'' by the ICZN, making ''guttata'' a synonym.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bugguide.net/node/view/2807|title=Species Romalea microptera - Eastern Lubber Grasshopper|work=Bugguide.net|date=August 1, 2014|accessdate=June 9, 2015}}</ref>

As traditionally defined, ''Romalea'' only contains the species ''R. microptera'', but recent authorities regard ''Taeniopoda'' as a synonym, in which case there are about a dozen ''Romalea'' species.<ref name=OrthopteraSpeciesfile/><ref name=JesusBonilla2023>{{cite journal| last1=Jesús-Bonilla | first1=V.S.D. | last2=Barrientos-Lozano | first2=L. | last3=Zaldívar-Riverón | first3=A | year=2023 | title=Taxonomic revision of the transitional Nearctic-Neotropical lubber grasshopper genus Romalea (Orthoptera: Romaleidae) | url=https://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?pid=S1870-34532023000100406&script=sci_arttext | journal=Rev. Mex. Biodiv. | volume=94 }}</ref> ''Romalea'' and ''Taeniopoda'' have generally been separated based on color and pronotum, but more comprehensive morphological data and genetic data do not support their separation.<ref name=JesusBonilla2023/> Their wild distributions do not overlap, but in captivity ''R. microptera'' can produce fertile hybrids at least with ''T. eques'' (western horse lubber grasshopper), showing their very close relations.<ref name=Whitman2008>{{cite journal| last1=Whitman | first1=D. | last2=Vincent | first2=S. | year=2008 | title=Large size as an antipredator defense in an insect | journal=Journal of Orthoptera Research | volume=17 | issue=2 | pages=353–371 | doi=10.1665/1082-6467-17.2.353 | doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Life cycle== thumb|left|Adult stage (bottom) and nymph stage (top) ''R. microptera'' grows through several stages, like all insects. When in the nymph stage, it is smaller than in the adult stage, wingless, and completely black except for one or more yellow, orange, or red stripes. The adult stage has wings that are half the length of its body, and become either a dull yellow often characterized by black spots and markings, a bright orange with black markings, or entirely black (as in the nymph stage) with yellow or red striping. In the black adult color phase, the grasshopper is widely known by the name "diablo" or "black diablo". In Louisiana, they are known as the "devil's horse" or ''{{lang|fr|cheval-diable}}''. The insect is also colloquially known as a "graveyard grasshopper". In Mississippi, they are known as the "giant locust".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://webs.lander.edu/rsfox/invertebrates/romalea.html|title=''Romalea microptera'', Eastern Lubber Grasshopper|work=Invertebrate Anatomy Online|date=October 6, 2006|first=Richard|last=Fox|publisher=Lander University |accessdate=April 4, 2011 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219050123/http://webs.lander.edu/rsfox/invertebrates/romalea.html |archivedate=February 19, 2012 }}</ref>

==Range== ''R. microptera'' inhabits regions west of North Carolina to Tennessee, in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas, and throughout Florida. They live in open pinewoods, weedy vegetation, and weedy fields.<ref name="IFAS"/>

==Size and wings== ''R. microptera'' and ''Taeniopoda eques'' (western horse lubber grasshopper) are the largest grasshoppers in the United States.<ref name=Whitman2008/> Adult males of ''R. microptera'' typically are {{cvt|4.3-5.5|cm}} long and adult females {{cvt|5-7|cm}} long, but can exceptionally reach {{cvt|9|cm}}.<ref name="IFAS"/> Their wings are rarely half the length of the abdomen; most of the time, they are much smaller, and cannot be used for flight.<ref name="IFAS"/>

==Defense== thumb|left|Eastern lubber grasshopper expanding its wings ''R. microptera'' has several defense strategies. The first is its brightly colored pattern (aposematism) to warn predators that it is unpleasant tasting. The second is that it emits a foul-smelling and foul-tasting, foamy secretion from its thorax when it is disturbed. The secretion is dark colored and opaque. The final strategy is that it lets off a loud hissing sound which can scare animals.<ref name="IFAS"/> Whereas most predatory vertebrates avoid ''R. microptera'' because of its toxicity, this does not protect it from predatory invertebrates; however, most predatory invertebrates are unable to catch and kill adult ''R. microptera'' because of its relatively large size.<ref name=Whitman2008/>

==Research== A quantitative analysis of the distribution of tritium labeled DNA among chromosomes during meiosis in ''Romalea microptera'' led to the conclusion that most exchanges reflected breakage and reciprocal exchange between (non-sister) homologous chromatids.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Taylor|first=J.H.|title=DISTRIBUTION OF TRITIUM-LABELED DNA AMONG CHROMOSOMES DURING MEIOSIS : I. Spermatogenesis in the Grasshopper|journal=Journal of Cell Biology|year=1965|volume=25|issue=2|pages=57–67|doi=10.1083/jcb.25.2.57|pmid=19866667|pmc=2106657}}</ref>{{Clarify|reason=Whatever does this possibly mean or imply?|date=April 2025}}

==Gallery== <gallery widths="240"> File:Eastern Lubber Grasshopper in Everglades National Park.jpg|Female eastern lubber grasshopper (''R. microptera'') in Everglades National Park, Florida File:Romaleidae - Romalea guttata.jpg|Close-up of ''R. microptera'' from the Everglades File:Eastern Lubber Grasshopper Nymph.jpg|Nymph ''R. microptera'' with its characteristic black and yellow-striped body File:Eastern Lubber Grasshopper.jpg|Lubber grasshopper, Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Delray, Florida File:Romalea microptera UMFS 2016 3.jpg|Adult dark morph, University of Mississippi Field Station File:Romalea microptera Fort Myers FL.jpg|''R. microptera'', Fort Myers, Florida File:Romalea microptera (eastern lubber grasshopper).jpg|''R. microptera'' at Bear Island Campground in the Big Cypress National Preserve File:Romalea Grasshopper Louisiana Wetland Area.jpg|Louisiana Romalea Grasshopper From Louisiana Wetlands, Lake Pontchartrain. </gallery>

== References == {{Portal|Insects|Arthropods}} {{Reflist|32em}}

== External links == *{{Commons category-inline|Romalea microptera|''Romalea microptera''}} *{{cite news|url=http://www.lsu.com/unv002.nsf/(NoteID)/6B68DC9178E6A88D862568E0004E9182?OpenDocument|author=Sarah Sue Goldsmith|title=Black grasshoppers munch their way across South Louisiana|publisher=Louisiana State University|date=May 4, 1999}}

Category:Romaleidae Category:Orthoptera of North America Category:Insects described in 1817

Romalea

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