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Spharagemon cristatum
Ridgeback Grasshopper
Synonym(s): Spharagemon collare cristatum
Florida native
These grasshoppers are found in old fields, the margins of woods and sandy roadsides from the I-4 corridor into north Florida. The range includes the southeastern coastal states from North Carolina into Texas and the southern Great Plains including Kansas and Colorado.
Spharagemon cristatum has a distinctive sharp ridge along the top of the pronotum which is higher than any other Florida grasshopper species. Ridgeback sand grasshoppers are grayish to brownish and heavily mottled with black spots. The outside of the hind femora are speckled brown much like most of the grasshopper. The insides of the hind femora are alternating bands of yellow and black. The inside of the hind tibia are mostly red or dark orange, with some yellow. The makes are 29-39mm (~1-1/8 to 1-1/2 in.)long and the females are 34-45mm (1-1/3 to 1-3/4 in.) in length.
Spharagemon cristatum is a member of the Acrididae - Short-horned Grasshoppers family.
Other species of the Spharagemon genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
Spharagemon marmoratum var. pictum - MARBLED GRASSHOPPER
For more information on this species, visit the following link:
Bugguide.net info page for this species
Date record last modified: Dec 11, 2019
