Romalea

Romalea
R. microptera, mating

Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Caelifera
Family: Romaleidae
Subfamily: Romaleinae
Tribe: Romaleini
Genus: Romalea
Serville, 1831
Species:
R. microptera
Binomial name
Romalea microptera
(Palisot de Beauvois, 1817)
Synonyms
  • Rhomalea gigantea Burmeister, 1838
  • Romalea gloveri Kirby, 1910
  • Romalea guttata (Stoll, 1813)
  • Romalea marci Serville, 1838
  • Dictyophorus reticulatus (Thunberg, 1815)

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.