Carolina grasshopper

Description

Size

Similar Species

Habitat

Ecology

Season

Behavior

Life Cycle

Nymph Food

Shoots and other easily digested parts of the same plants that adults feed on.

Adult Food

Plant material including grasses, forbs, and horsetails.

Pests and Diseases

Entomophaga grylli is a fungal species complex that kills grasshoppers. It is one of the most common and widespread diseases of grasshoppers. It causes the infected grasshopper to crawl to the top of a plant shortly before death. The grasshopper dies with its head pointed upward and its forelegs tightly wrapped around the plant stalk. These symptoms are unique to E. grylli. The dead grasshopper remains in there for several days.

There are three generally recognized pathotypes, two of which are native to North America. Pathotype 1, E. macleodii infects grasshoppers in the subfamily Oedipodinae (band-winged grasshoppers). Pathotype 2, E. calopteni infects grasshoppers in the genus Melanoplus. Pathotype 3, E. praxibuli, is native to Australia and was introduced into North America. It infects both Oedipodinae and Melanoplus grasshoppers. Thus, it is not possible to determine in the field which fungus caused the grasshopper’s demise.