Sulphur-winged grasshopper

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

N5 - Secure

Minnesota

not listed

Sulphur-winged grasshopper is a small, early season, band-winged grasshopper. It occurs in the United States east of the Great Plains and in southern Ontario Canada. It reaches the western extent of its range in southeastern Minnesota. Adults are found from April to July in open woodlands with a grassy understory, in prairies, and on roadsides. In Minnesota it is most common on sparsely vegetated sandy soils and on bluff prairies.

Female adults are robust, 1⅛″ to 1½″ (28 to 38 mm) in length, and pale brown to dark brown. Males are more slender and smaller, ⅞″ to 1¼″ (23 to 31 mm) in length.

The face is vertical. On the upper part of the head (vertex) there is a deep depression (concavity) in the middle and a shallow depression (foveola) on each side. The concavity is as wide as long and is divided beyond the middle by a curved, low but distinct, horizontal ridge. The front of the concavity is strongly ascending. The foveolae are large, shallow, and triangular to rhomboidal. The upper part of the forehead (fastigium) is very narrow in front. The plate on the upper face (frontal costa) is long and narrow. There are three small simple eyes (ocelli), one below each foveola (lateral ocelli) and one near the middle of the costa (median ocellus). The costa is strongly narrowed above where it meets the vertex. It is less than half as wide at the vertex than it is below the median ocellus.

The plate over the thorax (pronotum) is saddle-shaped and has a distinct longitudinal ridge (carina) in the middle. The carina is raised and sharply compressed. There is a single transverse groove (suculus) across the pronotum, but it does not cut through the carina. The lateral lobes of the pronotum are squared. The rear margin is extended backward and triangular. It does not extend over the abdomen or beyond the base of the wings. The front margin is extended forward and rounded or broadly angled. The surface of the pronotum is rough and wrinkled. On the underside of the thorax there is no spur between the front legs.

The forewings (tegmina) are long, leathery, and densely veined. When folded over the body the top is often pale. On the male there is often a yellowish band at the tip.

The hindwings are membranous and are folded fan-like when at rest. They are sulphur yellow with a broad, curved, black band on the outer margin. The band extends toward the wing base on the inner margin.

The coloration of the third segment (femur) of the hind leg is variable. It may be dark brown with a pale ring at the tip or have alternating dark and light bands. The fourth segment (tibia) is dark with a yellow ring at the base.

Size

Female total length: 1⅛″ to 1½″ (28 to 38 mm)

Male total length: ⅞″ to 1¼″ (23 to 31 mm)

Similar Species

Open woodlands, prairies, roadsides, and bluff prairies; sparsely vegetated sandy soils

Season

One generation per year: April to July

Behavior

When seeking a mate, males and sometimes females produce a crackling or buzzing sound (crepitation) when in flight.

Life Cycle

Nymphs overwinter

Nymph Food

Adult Food

Mostly grasses, especially Kentucky bluegrass, but also other forbs