The Use of Male Genitalia in Taxonomy and Comments on Lockwood's 1989 Paper on Melanoplus spretus (Walsh)

Abstract

In the course of offering morphometric data differentiating the Rocky Mountain Grasshopper, Melanoplus spretus (Walsh) from its relative the Migratory Grasshopper, M. sanguinipes (F), J. Lockwood criticized the use in taxonomy of male genitalia, one of the most important tools entomologists have. His generalizations may be taken especially by non-taxonomists to question the reliability of current taxonomy particularly of melanopline grasshoppers which is heavily dependent on genitalic morphology and therefore invites an investigation of his claims. An intensive review of the evidence he presents on the genitalic issue shows that some is just wrong, some cannot be located, and some is based on arguments that other authors never made. Part of the problem I suspect stems from a lack of understanding of how taxonomists operate, a subject that taxonomists have not often presented to non-taxonomists. The context of this criticism of the use of genitalia is the