Spotted bird grasshopper

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

NNR - Unranked

Minnesota

not listed

Spotted bird grasshopper is a common, medium-sized to large, short-horned grasshopper. It occurs in North America. Its exact distribution is in question. It is reported both in the historic literature and in recent online observations, in the United States from the East Coast to the West Coast, in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta Canada, and in Baja California and Sonora Mexico. However, all reports from the eastern U.S. are believed by some to be based on confusion with other similar species.

Spotted bird grasshopper adults are active from late spring to the first frost, June to October. They are found in tallgrass prairies, mixed-grass prairies, old fields, sand barrens, dunes, savannas, forest openings, weedy thickets, stream margins, and banks of ditches. They are abundant in dry, sandy, well-vegetated habitats, but they are also frequently found in moist habitats. The young (nymphs) feed on a single species, but adults feed on a variety of species. They feed mostly on legumes, especially wild licorice and leadplant, but also on alfalfa, beans, milkvetch, sweet clover, vetch, and wild pea. They have also been reported feeding on dandelion, oak, and wild rose. They feed very little on grasses.

Spotted bird grasshopper is a highly variable species with four genetically distinct forms adapted to specific environmental conditions. Only one form, called the “typical” form, occurs in Minnesota. The description below refers to the typical form.

Adult males are medium-sized, slender, and 1¼″ to 2″ (32 to 50 mm) in length. Females are much larger, more robust, and 1¾″ to 2¾″ (45 to 69 mm) in length. The body is reddish brown, often with a slight reddish-orange tinge.

The head is medium sized, broad, and light brown to greenish brown. The eyes are striped vertically. There is a dark brown stripe extending downward from each eye. The upper part of the head (vertex) is narrow. The upper part of the forehead (fastigium) slopes downward. On each side of the fastigium, there is a shallow depression (foveola). The foveolae are very small to almost missing. The face is nearly vertical, only slightly slanted. The plate on the upper face (frontal costa) is relatively wide and flat. There are three small simple eyes (ocelli), one below each foveola and one near the middle of the costa. The antennae are medium length and yellow. There is a row of distinct black dots on the lateral margins of the frontal costa, and another row across the upper part of the plate on the face (clypeus).

The upper plate on the first segment of the thorax (pronotum) is saddle shaped. The rear margin is broadly angled. The upper part is divided by a slightly raised but distinct longitudinal ridge (median carina). On the front part of the pronotum there are three transverse grooves that cut through the median carina. The sides of the pronotum are sparsely covered with light yellow dots (granules). Other than this, there are no stripes or other markings on the lateral lobes of the pronotum.

The forewings (tegmina) are leathery, narrow and long. They extend well beyond the tip of the abdomen on the male, a little beyond on the female. They are light brown, and the veins are light brown. The hindwings have a slight yellowish tinge. There is usually a light yellow, longitudinal stripe extending from the vertex, across the pronotum, and almost to the tip of the tegmina.

On the abdomen, the rear margin of each segment has a row of black dots.

On the hind legs, the third segment (femur) is moderately slender. The upper surface is light brown. On the outer face, there is a row of black dots along the upper and lower margins. On the male, The femurs on the front and middle legs are highly inflated. On the female, they are not. The fourth segment (tibia) on the hind legs has some black, especially on the lower side. The spines on the tibia are yellow with a black tip.

Size

Male Total length: 1¼″ to 2″ (32 to 50 mm)

Female Total length: 1¾″ to 2¾″ (45 to 69 mm)

Similar Species

Tallgrass prairies, mixed-grass prairies, old fields, sand barrens, dunes, savannas, forest openings, weedy thickets, stream margins, and banks of ditches

Season

June to October

Behavior

Adults are strong fliers, but they are mostly sedentary, spending their entire lifetime in the same habitat. When disturbed, they fly fast and for a long distance. They do not form large swarms.

Life Cycle

Nymph Food

Adult Food

Wild licorice, leadplant, alfalfa, beans, milkvetch, sweet clover, vetch, wild pea, dandelion, oak, and wild rose