Aquatic Insects of Michigan

by Ethan Bright, Museum of Zoology Insect Division and School of Natural Resources and Environment
University of Michigan

Semiaquatic Orthoptera of Michigan

Our current state of knowledge about distribution of Orthoptera in Michigan is generally very good, as many researchers (T. H. Hubbell, I. J. Cantrall, T. Cohn, D. Otte etc.) have done much collecting throughout the state. With specific regards to noting orthopteran associations with aquatic and semi-aquatic habitats per se, however, only Cantrall's 1943 work in southeastern Michigan stands out. A recent publication by Bland (2003) provides a useful summary of the species of Orthoptera occurring in Michigan and a summary of their habitats. This list is based on these works; otherwise, this list should be considered incomplete, awaiting a more thorough literature and museum search, and a more judicious interpretation of the actual "semi-aquatic" relationship of a species (not just an accidental association with a habitat).

Genera are donoted in bold green; species denoted in bold blue have been recorded in Michigan; other species denoted in bold are likely to occur based on their known distribution. You can use the Find function in your web browser to locate families, genera, and species. Synonomous species (indented) are listed below the current valid species (denoted in bold) with its taxonomic status indicated.

ACRIDIDAE - Grasshoppers (Suborder Caelifera)

Appalachia Rehn & Rehn, 1936 (Subfamily Podisminae)
Appalachia arcana Hubbell & Cantrall, 1938 – Bland 2003:122; leatherleaf bog swales; endemic to Michigan, species of special concern

Booneacris Rehn & Rehn, 1962
Booneacris glacialis canadensis (Walker, 1903) Podisma (orig.) – Bland 2003:123; leatherleaf bogs and other swampy lowlands

Chorthippus Fieber, 1852 (Subfamily Gomphocerinae)
Chorthippus curtipennis curtipennis (Harris, 1835) Locusta (orig.) – Bland 2003:81; periaquatic, grass and sedge feeder, along the edges of lakes and marshes

Dichromorpha Morse, 1896 (Subfamily Gomphocerinae)
Dichromorpha viridis (Scudder, 1862) Chloealtis (orig.) – Bland 2003:82; periaquatic, dry edges and clearings around lakes, ponds, and marshes

Melanoplus Stål, 1873 (Subfamily Melanoplinae)
Melanoplus borealis borealis (Fieber, 1853) Caloptenus (orig.) – Bland 2003:89; periaquatic, marshy areas around ponds and lakes, and leatherleaf shrubs in leatherleaf-tamarack bogs
Melanoplus gracilis (Bruner, 1876) Pezotettix (orig.) – Bland 2003:95-96; periaquatic, moist habitats of tall grass and weeds such as the margins of lakes and marshes

Metaleptea Giglio-Tos, 1897 (Subfamily Acridinae)
Metaleptea brevicornis (Johannson, 1763) Gryllus (orig.) - Bland 2003:73; periaquatic, edges of wet meadows, marshes, ponds, lakes, streams

Paroxya Scudder 1877 (Subfamily Melanoplinae)
Paroxya hoosieri (Blatchley, 1892) Pezotettix (orig.) – Bland 2003:103; semiaquatic, edges of ponds, small lakes, bogs, marshes, and swales; species of special concern

Stethophyma Fisher 1853 (Subfamily Acridinae)
Stethophyma gracilis (Scudder, 1862) Arcyptera – Bland 2003:74; wet meadows, stream edges and marshes
Stethophyma lineata (Scudder, 1862) Arcyptera – Bland 2003:74; wet boggy meadows, marshes, and the edges of lakes and tamarack bogs)

Schistocerca Stål, 1873 (Subfamily Cyrtacanthacridinae)
Schistocerca alutacea (Harris, 1841) Acrydium – Bland 2003:75; shrubby marshes, bogs, wet thickets, and the edges of forest thickets, ponds, and lakes
Schistocerca americana (Drury, 1773) Libellula – Bland 2003:76; tall grasses and sedges of damp areas near lakes and marshes

Trimerotropis Stål, 1873 (Subfamily Oedipodinae)
Trimerotropis verruculata verruculata (Kirby), 1837 Locusta – Bland 2003:117; rock, gravel, and clay shores of rivers and lakes; threatened species

TETRIGIDAE - Pygmy grasshoppers (Suborder Caelifera)

Paratettix Bolivar, 1887 (Subfamily Tetriginae)
Paratettix cucullata (Burmeister, 1838) Tetrix (orig.) – Bland 2003:127; damp, mucky, muddy, or sandy flats and banks near streams, ponds, lakes, and swampy meadows

Tetrix Latreille, 1802 (Subfamily Tetriginae)
Tetrix arenosa Burmeister, 1838 – Bland 2003:128; periaquatic, damp mud and moist leaf litter of temporary woodland ponds and similar areas adjacent to streams and marshes
Tetrix subulata (Linnaeus, 1761) Gryllus (orig.) – Bland 2003:129; periaquatic, moist, sandy habitats along the margins of streams, lakes, marshes, and bogs

Tettigidea Scudder, 1862 (Subfamily Batrachideinae)
Tettigidea armata armata Morse, 1895 – Bland 2003:130; periaquatic, woodland ponds and swamps
Tettigidea laterala laterala (Say, 1824) Acrydium (orig.) – Bland 2003:131; periaquatic, bare or mossy wet soils of bogs, marshes, and woodland pools

TRIDACTYLIDAE - Pygmy mole grasshoppers (Suborder Caelifera)

Ellipes Scudder, 1862 (Subfamily Tridactylinae)
Ellipes gurneyi Günther, 1977 – Bland 2003:133; periaquatic, areas around streams
Ellipes minutus Scudder, 1862 – Bland 2003:133; periaquatic, areas around streams

Neotridactylus Günther 1972 (Subfamily Tridactylinae)
Neotridactylus apicialis (Say), 1825 Tridactylus – Bland 2003:134; damp sandbars of streams, sandy and silty banks of ditches, ponds, and lakes

GRYLLIDAE - Crickets (Suborder Ensifera)

Allonemobius Hebard, 1913 (Subfamily Nemobiinae)
Allonemobius allardi (Alexander & Thomas, 1959) Nemobius (orig.) – Bland 2003: 178-179; may be periaquatic, found in damp areas such as stream banks
Allonemobius fasciatus fasciatus (DeGeer, 1773) Gryllus (orig.) – Bland 2003: 179; marshes, bogs, edges of ponds, lakes and streams

Anaxipha Saussure, 1874 (Subfamily Trigonidiinae)
Anaxipha exigua (Say, 1825) Acheta – Bland 2003:191; shrubs along margins of marshes, streams, and lakes, on sphagnum moss in tamarack swamps
(syn.) Anaxipha pulicaria (Burmeister, 1838)
(syn.) Anaxipha pulicaria pulicaria (Burmeister, 1838)

Eunemobius Hebard, 1913 (Subfamily Nemobiinae)
Eunemobius carolinus carolinus (Scudder, 1877) Nemobius (orig.) – Bland 2003:182; edges of swampy woods, lakes and streams, and sphagnum moss
Eunemobius melodius (Alexander & Thomas, 1957) Nemobius (orig.) – Bland 2003:182; bog sphagnum, decayed hardwood of swamps, leaf litter along shrub swamp margins

Neonemobius Hebard, 1913 (Subfamily Nemobiinae)
Neonemobius palustris palustris (Blatchley, 1900) Nemobius (orig.) – Bland 2003:183; sphagnum moss of bogs

GRYLLOTALPIDAE - Mole crickets (Suborder Ensifera)

Neocurtilla Kirby, 1906 (Subfamily Gryllotalpinae)
Neocurtilla hexadactyla hexadactyla (Perty, 1832) Gryllotalpa (orig.) – Bland 2003:193; sandy and muddy soils along ponds, streams, and marshes

RHAPHIDOPHORIDAE - Cave and camel crickets (Suborder Ensifera)

Ceuthophilus Scudder, 1862 (Subfamily Ceuthophilinae)
Ceuthophilus meridionalis Scudder, 1894 – Bland 2003:139; debris of moist forests, floodplains, and edges of lakes and streams

TETTIGONIIDAE - Katydids (Suborder Ensifera)

Amblycorypha Stål, 1873 (Subfamily Phaneropterinae)
Amblycorypha oblongifolia (DeGeer, 1773) Locusta (orig.) – Bland 2003: 160-161; wet marshes and rank vegetation near other bodies of water

Conocephalus Thunberg, 1815 (Subfamily Conocephalinae)
Conocephalus attenuatus (Scudder, 1872) Xiphidium (orig.) – Bland 2003:146; tall grasses, rushes, and sedges in the shallow water of ponds, lakes, marshes, and rivers
Conocephalus brevipennis brevipennis (Scudder, 1862) Xiphidium (orig.) – Bland 2003:147; damp meadows and shaded areas along streams and the edges of marshes
Conocephalus fasciatus (DeGeer, 1773) Locusta (orig.) – Bland 2003:148; grass and other vegetation along waterways
Conocephalus nigropleurum (Bruner, 1891) Xiphidium (orig.) – Bland 2003:149; wet areas such as marshes, swamps, bogs, and the edges of streams, ponds, and lakes

Neoconocephalus Karny, 1907 (Subfamily Conocephalinae)
Neoconocephalus lyristes (Rehn and Hebard, 1905) Conocephalus (orig.) – Bland 2003:152; grasses, sedges, and rushes of wet ground, shallow bogs, and calcareous fens, also freshwater marshlands; species of special concern


Orchelimum Serville, 1839 (Subfamily Conocephalinae)
Orchelimum campestre Blatchley, 1893 – Bland 2003: 154; vegetation common to wet marshes and lake edges
Orchelimum concinnum Scudder, 1862 – Bland 2003: 155; marl bogs, prairie fens, and the edges of marshes
Orchelimum gladiator Bruner, 1891 – Bland 2003: 156; wet edges of marshes
Orchelimum nigripes Scudder, 1875 – Bland 2003: 157; vegetation of shallow water or along the margins of ponds, lakes, marshes, streams, and wet ditches
Orchelimum volantum McNeill, 1891 – Bland 2003: 157-158; vegetation of marshes, and also in and along the shallow waters of ponds, lakes, and streams

Scudderia Stål, 1873 (Subfamily Phaneropterinae)
Scudderia texensis Saussure and Pictet, 1897 – Bland 2003: 167; tall forbs of marshes and lake margins

General References

Bland RG. 2003. The Orthoptera of Michigan : biology, keys, and descriptions of grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets. Michigan State University Extension: East Lansing, Michigan. 220 p.
Cantrall IJ. 1943. The ecology of the Orthoptera and Dermaptera of the George Reserve, Michigan. Miscellaneous Publications, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan 54:1-182, 2 maps, 10 plates.