About the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper
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.
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. 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. However, microptera has been marked as a nomen protectum by the ICZN, making guttata a synonym.
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. Romalea and Taeniopoda have generally been separated based on color and pronotum, but more comprehensive morphological... Wikipedia →
