Grasshoppers on the Kern River Preserve

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Checklist of Wildlife on the Kern River Preserve

Mammals Birds Reptiles Amphibians Fish Insects Spiders Dragonflies Grasshoppers Butterflies Crayfish

NOTE: There is no collecting, fishing, or hunting on the preserve. If you see any animal or plant on the preserve, please take only pictures and memories. Do not disturb nesting birds. Do not go off trail.
Every once in a while you see colorful insects fly in front of you. At first they look like butterflies, but they land and then disappear. Most of the time when I encounter flying gems of yellow or orange I now know to look for a grasshopper just in front of me. There are four families, and about 660 species of grasshoppers in North America. According to www.BugGuide.net there are about 2,400 genera, 11,000 species. In the 17 western states there are over 400 species, with 60 species having a wide distribution. Grasshoppers have huge femurs that are modified for jumping. The antennae are usually shorter than the body and generally have fewer than 30 segments (cricket antennae are longer than their body). They have a short ovipositor and an abdominal tympanum. The species scratching noise is made by the rubbing of the serrations on the inner hind leg across the veins of the front wing. The diet of grasshoppers is almost exclusively live plants.
The list of Grasshoppers found on the Kern River Preserve in 2002 by Jeffrey Cole of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is supplemented by observations of Alison Sheehey. Range maps for some species from USDA Grasshopper Species Fact Sheets.
Order Orthoptera Grasshoppers, Crickets and Katydids Family Acrididae Short-horned Grasshoppers Subfamily Gomphocerinae Slant-faced Grasshoppers
White-whiskered Grasshopper - Ageneotettix deorum other names - white whiskers grasshopper NATIVE size: males small, females medium weight - adult male 110 mg, adult female 310 mg body length - adult male 15.5-16.2 mm, adult female 21-24 mm femur length - adult male 9-9.7 mm, adult female 12-12.5 mm antenna segments - adult male 25, adult female 25 body color - white antenna; tibiae red; brownish with pale stripe on back, yellowish below markings - femurs have dark triangular markings food plant - grass & sedge leaves, seeds, manure, and dead insects migratory - yes months active - June-November habitat - short grassland range - S. Canada, S. to Durango, Mexico, and E. to Michigan
Obscure Grasshopper - Opeia obscura NATIVE size: males small, females medium weight - adult male 66 mg, adult female 143 mg body length - adult male 13.5-15 mm, adult female BL 18-19.7 mm femur length - adult male 7.9-8.9 mm, adult female 10.5-11.5 mm antenna segments - adult male 21-23, adult female 23-24 body color - pale tan to pale green leg color - upper inner part of femur has dark stripe, tibia pale tan to gray markings - face strongly slanted food plant - green grass months active - April-October habitat - grassland range - S. central Canada through western United States, S. into Mexico
Cream Grasshopper - Cibolacris parviceps other names - Camo Grasshopper NATIVE - status common size: small-medium body length - 20-32 mm femur length - antenna segments - body color - wing color - markings - food plant - annual herbs, creosotebush #broods - habits - feeds nocturnally habitat - desert scrub months active - March-November range - SW United States from Nevada S. through Baja California and the Chihuahuan Desert of Mexico
Subfamily Melanoplinae Spur-throated Grasshoppers
Snakeweed Grasshopper - Hesperotettix viridis other names - Green-streak Grasshopper NATIVE - status size: medium weight - adult male 212 mg; adult female 344 mg body length - adult male 19-21 mm, adult female 20-22 mm . femur length - adult male 9.8-11 mm, adult female 11-12.5 mm antenna segments - adult male 23-24, adult female 22-24 body color - green with thin light line running from head to upper back leg color - femur green with ivory and dark gray triangles, tibiae light blue food plant - sunflower family shrubs habitat - grasslands, sagebrush and other shrub associations, and abandoned fields range - Canada to Mexico months active - July-October
Western Sagebrush Grasshopper - Melanoplus complanatipes NATIVE - status size: small to medium body length - 15-33 mm body color - mostly gray or dull brown, with green to bluish gray and yellow tint leg color - blue hind tibia markings - slightly darker area on sides of pronotum food plant - sunflower family shrubs habitat - sagebrush, sandy places range - California to Idaho, Wyoming, Arizona and Mexico months active -
Margined Spur-throated Grasshopper - Melanoplus marginatus NATIVE - status size: small body length - 14.5-22mm body color - brown to pale green, pale yellowish underneath leg color - hind tibia brownish to olive green markings - dark blotches on sides of abdomen becoming smaller toward tail food plant - Cordylanthus sp. #broods - late spring habitat - annual grassland, crops, gardens, weedy places range - California
Dapper Hopper - Melanoplus yarrowii other names - Yarrow's Spur-throat Grasshopper NATIVE - status size: small weight - body length - Adult male 25-30 mm, female 29-40 mm femur length - antenna segments - body color - greenish brown above, yellowish underneath leg color - hind tibia red wing color - markings - smooth looking food plant - herbs #broods - migratory - habitat - Weedy washes range - California through Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico months active - July-October

Subfamily Oedipodinae Band-wing Grasshoppers
Groove-headed Grasshopper - Conozoa sulcifrons NATIVE - status size: medium body length - 25-32 mm body color - brownish with black spur leg color - femur with 3 dark chevrons, faint red on hind tibia grading to white toward base wing color - yellowish with black band habitat - cultivated areas, low flats, washes range - Arizona to California and Utah months active - March - November
Strenuous Grasshopper - Trimerotropis californica other names - Trimerotropis strenua NATIVE - status size: large body length - 32-42 mm body color - whitish, gray or brown with dark bands on front wings wing color - yellow with strong band and spur leg color - hind tibia reddish with light ring near base habitat - rocky soil in gassy areas range - Great Basin in Oregon, California to Colorado and Texas months active - June - October
pg 140 Pallid-winged Grasshopper - Trimerotropis pallidipennis other names - NATIVE - status size: large weight - Adult males 268 mg, Adult females 565 mg body length - adult male 20.5-24 mm, adult female 27-33 mm femur length - adult male 12-13.5 mm, adult female 13.5-16 mm antenna segments - adult male 24-26, adult female 25-28 body color - tan and gray leg color - black with yellow bars wing color - white to pale yellow markings - narrow black band on hindwing food plant - brome, mustard, rabbitbrush #broods - migratory - habitat - western deserts, rangeland, weedy areas lifespan - range - southwestern Canada to Argentina months active -
pg 140 ssp pallidipennis Alkali Grasshopper - Trimerotropis salina other names - NATIVE - status size: weight - body length - adult males 23 - 45 mm, adult females 32 -56 mm femur length - antenna segments - body color - wing color - markings - food plant - #broods - migratory - habitat - lifespan - range - Great Plains - Manitoba, Minnesota to Texas west to Idaho to SE California months active -
Short-horned specimens yet to be identified






Suborder Ensifera - Long-horned Orthoptera Family Tettigoniidae - Katydids Subfamily Tettigoniinae - Shield-backed Katydids
Shieldback Katydid - either western shieldback (Ateloplus hesperus) or noted shieldback (Ateloplus notatus) or splendid shieldback (Ateloplus splendidus) other names - NATIVE - status size: weight - body length - femur length - antenna segments - body color - wing color - markings - food plant - #broods - migratory - habitat - lifespan - range - months active -
Uniform Shieldback - Idiostatus aequalis other names - NATIVE - status size: weight - body length - femur length - antenna segments - body color - wing color - markings - food plant - #broods - migratory - habitat - lifespan - range - months active -

Subfamily Conocephalinae Cone-head Katydids
Western Meadow Katydid - Conocephalus vicinus (fasciatus) other names - NATIVE - status size: weight - body length - 18 - 26 mm femur length - antenna segments - body color - wing color - markings - forewings exceed abdomen food plant - #broods - migratory - habitat - lifespan - range - months active -
Subfamily Phaneropterinae False Katydids
Angle-wing Katydid - Microcentrum sp. either Greater angle-wing (Microcentrum rhombifolium) or California angle-wing (Microcentrum californicum) other names - NATIVE - status size: weight - body length - femur length - antenna segments - body color - wing color - markings - food plant - #broods - migratory - habitat - lifespan - range - months active -
REFERENCES Helfer, J. R. 1987. How to Know the Grasshoppers, Crickets, Cockroaches and their Allies. Dover Publications. Pfadt, R., 2002. Field Guide to Common Western Grasshoppers. Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station. downloaded. 5/2010. Storer, T., Usinger, R. & Lukas, D. 2004. Sierra Nevada Natural History. UC Press. Swan, L. , Papp, C., 1972. The Common Insects of North America. Harper & Row.
About Audubon Kern River Preserve The Kern River Preserve is managed by Audubon California for the preservation of one of California’s largest contiguous cottonwood-willow riparian forests and the wildlife it supports. Audubon Kern River Preserve supporters provide financial and volunteer support for Preserve outreach, education, wildlife habitat protection & stewardship.

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This site was created on October 21, 1998. Please Email to make comments or offer suggestions.