I got this photo just in time!
I first saw this insect at the beginning of the summer. As I was working in my garden, it startled me when it flew into the air with an erratic leap. I of course hadn't seen the grasshopper because it was so well camouflaged with the rocks that it sat on top of. As you can see in the bottom of this photo, the grasshopper almost perfectly matches the pebbles that are in my garden. It wasn't until the end of August while I was on the phone with Matt that I was finally able to get a photo. It turns out that these grasshoppers can be quite shy. Any time that I would go to take a photo, they would leap away. If it wasn't sunny out, they were nowhere to be found. If it was rainy or windy, I wouldn't see a single one. Thankfully I was able to get this photo just in time for our September gallery!
What do Carolina grasshoppers look like?
Carolina grasshoppers are known for their large size. They can grow to be 58mm in length, and the females are 80-102mm across with their wings spread out. For that reason, they are often mistaken as butterflies. They come in a variety of colors: shades of gray, tan, brown, and green. The matching color of this grasshopper to its environment serves as a great defense mechanism to the birds that find them to be a quite nutritious food.
Where are these grasshoppers found?
Carolina grasshoppers can be found throughout North America. They are present in all 48 states of the U.S., lower Canada, and northern Mexico. You are likely to see one since they enjoy disturbed habitats like dusty roads, paths, and vacant lots.
What other names do they go by?
The scientific name for the Carolina grasshopper is Dissosteira carolina. Other common names include Carolina locust, black-winged grasshopper, quaker, and road duster. Don't call them a Mourning Cloak Butterfly. Although they look very similar, they are not the same insect.
They are found throughout North America
More Fun Facts!
- There is a species of wasp called the black grasshopper hunter wasp that eat Carolina grasshoppers!
- In 1933 and 1934 there was an irruption (sudden large change in the population of an animal) of these grasshoppers in Saskatchewan, Canada.
- When the female lays her up to 40 eggs, she does so by using her ovipositor to place the brood underground.
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