Lake Huron Locust
Trimerotropis huroniana Walker

Status: State Endangered (August 1, 1997)

Occurence: Recorded only from Door County in Wisconsin.

Aid to ID: This species may be confused with the related grasshopper Trimerotropis maritima (the seaside grasshopper). T. huroniana is silvery gray to pale brown, yellow ochre or brick red with mottling, males more heavily than females. The long forewings usually have faint cross-bands; the hind wings are pale yellow with a smoky band. The low pronotum is cut twice across the middle, the pronotal length behind the furrows nearly twice that anterior to the furrows. Males measure 19-21mm and females 26-28mm. The inner face of the hind femur is solid black on the proximal half in contrast to that of the cogeneric, T. maritima, with a narrow black band. Both species have a black band near the tip of the inner femur. The hind tibia is dull yellow.

Habitat: Inhabits exposed, high quality open dunes as well as upper beach areas with very sparse grasses, forbs, and beach shrubs on the northern shores of the Great Lakes. T. maritima is found farther south along the Great Lakes shorelines. Individuals, particularly males, may be found on sunny days in the least vegetated "blowout" areas of the dunes. The less mottled females have been observed more than the males on the sand/gravel beach just above the high water mark.

Management Considerations: The Lake Huron locust has narrow habitat preferences and is threatened shoreline recreational development along the Great Lakes. Dune habitat conservation with minimized human use will benefit this species. Where disturbance jeopardizes the quality of the open dune habitat or at sites where vegetation becomes abundant, populations are lost and the species is replaced by more cosmopolitan grasshoppers. At sites where the habitat is narrow, high water years may lead to local extirpations.

The content for this page was originally presented in the Endangered and Threatened Invertebrates of Wisconsin, a free publication available by contacting the Endangered Resources Program.