The stuff of nightmares? by rhoing

The stuff of nightmares?

This photo caused a “shallow dive” into “locusts” and how they may differ from “grasshoppers.” From Wikipedia (FWIW): “No taxonomic distinction is made between locust and grasshopper species; the basis for the definition is whether a species forms swarms under intermittently suitable conditions.”

Submitted to BugGuide with no idea even to which taxonomical “family” this particular critter would belong. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

» ID’ed at BugGuide as Melanoplus punctulatus or “Pine Tree Spur-throat Grasshopper”
» Species page at BugGuide

Well, this is embarrassing. It turns out that I photographed this species eight years ago. I didn’t post it here, but the sighting is at BugGuide. Here I posted a Painted Lady.

[ PXL_20240726_204314377_LE15tm :: cell phone ]

July 26 posts
       “Extras”: “Spin, spin,spin?”
  1 year ago: No post
 2 years ago: “Silvery Checkerspot [Filler]”
 3 years ago: “Travel day 2 home”
 4 years ago: “Spicebush Swallowtail”
 5 years ago: “Finally, a yellow Tiger!”
 6 years ago: “Last butterfly for a while!”
 7 years ago: “Eastern Pondhawk [Filler #52]” I miss being able to photograph dragonflies
 8 years ago: “Travel day”
 9 years ago: “Golden Silk Orbweaver”
10 years ago: “First swallowtail of the year” Wow! That was late!
11 years ago: “Fiery Skipper? No! ‘Sachem’ (Sigh)”
12 years ago: “My, but what large eyes you have!”
13 years ago: “Another travel day...”
Stellar focus.
August 1st, 2024  
@kvphoto Thanks! I'm learning to get better DOF with the phone camera.
August 1st, 2024  
Great capture
August 1st, 2024  
Fantastic close up
August 2nd, 2024  
@kvphoto @bkbinthecity @corinnec I *have* to get close enough … if I want a good-enough photo so the experts can identify/confirm them! I know, I know — there are apps. But I suspect the apps, working from photos, are wrong more often than human experts. Plus, the apps are generally only going to be as good as, well, the photo. :)

[Strategy: starting from a distance and inching in closer and closer for better and better shots in case the critter is inclined to fly or hop away.]
August 2nd, 2024  
Grasshoppers do look so prehistoric don’t they?
August 3rd, 2024  
@randystreat I agree with you 100%!
August 3rd, 2024  
@kvphoto I comment above on the accuracy of apps versus humans. While I may be technically correct, apps have come a long way since I last tried one and "seek" is amazing (and amazingly fast)! I think the experts who get stuck with my moth submissions at BAMONA and BugGuode greatly appreciate that "seek" usually gets me to genus if not species! Thanks again for steering me to iNaturalist and seek!
August 8th, 2024  
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