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 | ||
Melanoplinae | ||
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 | 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 | Melanoplus punctulatus | camouflaged on lichen-covered tree bark |
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 | ||
Gomphocerinae | ||
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 | |
Boopedon gracile | sides of prothorax have 2 vertical lines+ top; hind tibia band tan on magenta | |
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 | |
Obscure grasshopper | Opeia obscura | antennae flat & expanded centrally |
Spotted-wing grasshopper | dark spots & speckled forewing edge; 2 cuts across pronotum | |
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 | ||
Oedipodinae | ||
Speckle-winged grasshopper | Arphia conspersa | hindwing black spur in red; early spring |
Arphia simplex | hindwing black spur in yellow; summer | |
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 |
| ||
REALLY BIG GRASSHOPPERS | ||
Cyrtacanthacridinae | vertical stripe in the eye (fresh specimen) | |
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 | ||
Plains Lubber grasshopper | Brachystola magna | short-winged, flightless; heavy-bodied |