Here is a list of Grasshopper species with their scientific name and a small description of each.
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Hints for Identification |
SPUR-THROATED GRASSHOPPERS |
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Melanoplinae |
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Fuzzy olive-green grasshopper |
Campylacantha olivacea |
short-winged; short hairs on prothorax |
Post oak grasshopper |
Dendrotettix quercus |
oak woodlands; arboreal |
Grass-green grasshopper |
Hesperotettix speciosus |
short-winged; red markings; bluish hind tibia |
|
Hesperotettix viridis pratensis |
colorful, distinct red and white markings; blue tibia |
Sage grasshopper |
Hypochlora alba |
short, pointed wings; host Artemesia |
Narrow-winged spur-throat
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Melanoplus angustipennis | |
Two-striped grasshopper |
Melanoplus bivittatus |
2 yellow stripes from behind eyes onto forewings; hind femur black-striped, hind tibia blue |
Pasture grasshopper |
Melanoplus confusus |
black stripe behind eye; hind tibia blue |
Differential grasshopper |
Melanoplus differentialis |
hind femur marked w black chevrons |
Red-legged grasshopper |
Melanoplus femurrubrum femurrubrum |
red hind tibia; hind femur dark-banded |
Melanoplus foedus |
hind femur yellow, long forewings |
|
Keeler grasshopper |
Melanoplus keeleri luridus |
red magenta hind tibia; forewings speckled |
Packard grasshopper |
Melanoplus packardii |
2 dark stripes from head to wings |
Grizzly Spur-throat grasshopper
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Melanoplus punctulatus |
camouflaged on lichen-covered tree bark
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Migratory grasshopper |
Melanoplus sanguinipes |
dark line on the femur is broken, red legs; line of spots on forewing |
Scudder’s spur-throat grasshopper |
Melanoplus scudderi |
rounded, short-wings; red hind tibia |
Two-lined short-winged grasshopper |
Paratylotropidia brunneri |
short-winged; maroon hind tibia, distinctive white lines on thorax & wings |
Largehead grasshopper |
Phoetaliotes nebrascensis |
short, pointed forewings; blue hind tibia, |
SLANT-FACED GRASSHOPPERS |
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Gomphocerinae |
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White whiskers grasshopper |
Ageneotettix deorum |
thin, whitish antennae; forewings speckled; hind tibia orange |
Striped grasshopper |
Amphitornus coloradus |
dark stripes head to forewings |
Bighead grasshopper |
Aulocara elliotti |
over-sized head; blue hind tibia |
Boopedon auriventris |
sides of prothorax have 2 vertical lines |
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Boopedon gracile |
sides of prothorax have 2 vertical lines+ top; hind tibia band tan on magenta |
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Harris sprinkled grasshopper |
Chloealtis conspersa |
moist habitat; female short-winged, male shiny black pronotum; uncommon |
Short-winged green grasshopper |
Dichromorpha viridis |
green or brown; low areas, shady lawns |
Velvet-stripped grasshopper |
Eritettix simplex |
antennae expanded tip; dark stripes on pronotum w/white, constricted, white mark on forewings |
Two-striped slant-faced grasshopper |
Mermiria bivittata maculipennis |
dark stripe from eye to forewing, small white streak on forewing; antennae flat & expanded centrally |
Mermiria picta neomexicana |
no white streak; eye stripe brown |
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Obscure grasshopper |
Opeia obscura |
antennae flat & expanded centrally |
Spotted-wing grasshopper
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dark spots & speckled forewing edge; 2 cuts across pronotum
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Slant-faced pasture grasshopper |
Orphulella speciosa |
dark spots on forewing, pronotum & abdomen; one cut across pronotum |
Four-spotted grasshopper |
Philobostroma quadrimaculatum |
forewings 3-5 spotted; hind tibia orange |
Short-winged toothpick grasshopper |
Pseudopomala brachyptera |
forewings short & pointed; antennae flat & expanded centrally |
Admirable grasshopper |
Syrbula admirabilis |
sexes different; |
BAND-WINGED GRASSHOPPERS |
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Oedipodinae |
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Speckle-winged grasshopper |
Arphia conspersa |
hindwing black spur in red; early spring |
Arphia simplex |
hindwing black spur in yellow; summer |
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Autumn yellow-winged grasshopper |
Arphia xanthoptera |
pronotum arched; late summer, fall |
Green-striped grasshopper |
Chortophaga viridifasciata |
green & brown forms; hindwings colorless |
Carolina grasshopper |
Dissosteira carolina |
hindwing black, spotted at tip |
Dusky grasshopper |
Encoptolophus sordidus |
“X” on the pronotum |
Three-banded grasshopper |
Hadrotettix trifasciatus |
bottom half of inside of femur is blue |
Wrinkled grasshopper |
Hippiscus rugosus |
spring adults |
Platt range grasshopper |
Mestobregma plattei |
second black on outside edge hindwing |
Coral-winged grasshopper |
Pardalophora apiculata |
common in spring; red hindwing; forewing spots large |
Haldeman’s grasshopper |
Pardalophora haldemanii |
forewing w/numerous spots; spring |
Boll’s grasshopper |
Spharagemon bolli |
forewing w/2 faint stripes; hindwing pale yellow |
Mottled sand grasshopper |
Spharagemon collare |
forewing w/3 faint stripes; pronotum ridged; hindwing spotted at tip |
Orange-legged grasshopper |
Spharagemon equale |
forewing w/3 dark stripes, spotted at tip; hind tibia & inside femur orange |
Kiowa grasshopper |
Trachyrhachys kiowa |
pronotun 2-notched; hind tibia blue |
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REALLY BIG GRASSHOPPERS |
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Cyrtacanthacridinae |
vertical stripe in the eye (fresh specimen) |
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American grasshopper |
Schistocerca americana americana |
forewings spotted; pale dorsal stripe |
Birdwing grasshopper |
Schistocerca lineata |
wings not speckled; yellow dorsal stripe |
Obscure bird grasshopper |
Schistocerca obscura |
green; hind tibia black; yellow dorsal stripe |
Romaleinae |
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Plains Lubber grasshopper |
Brachystola magna |
short-winged, flightless; heavy-bodied |