Scientific name
Melanoplus devastator (Orthoptera: Acrididae)
Similar species
migratory grasshopper, Melanoplus sanguinipes
Distribution
United States: California, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada.
Worldwide: North America.
Native to North America.
Diagnostic characteristics
Adults
- Female is 21 - 23 mm (0.83 - 0.91 in.) in length.
- Male is 18.5 - 22 mm (0.73 - 0.87 in.) in length.
- Body is pale grey and tan with dark grey spots; the underside of the abdomenabdomen:
one of the three body segments in insects; the most posterior segment containing the heart, reproductive organs, and digestive organs
is pale green to yellow.
- The second largest hind leg segment (tibia) is usually blue but occasionally red.
- Elongate shape with a greatly enlarged hind leg segment (femur).
- The leathery forewings and the membranousmembranous:
with the same character as a membrane, typically used to refer to structures like wings that are clear and translucent like a membrane
hindwings are held straight back and extend past the tip of the abdomenabdomen:
one of the three body segments in insects; the most posterior segment containing the heart, reproductive organs, and digestive organs
.
- Antennae are short and thread-like (filiform) with 25 - 26 segments.
- Feet (tarsi) are composed of three segments.
Immatures
- Six nymphal instars.
- 3.4 - 11.7 mm (0.13 - 0.46 in.) in length.
- Pale yellow, pale tan, or pale green.
- Shape is similar to adults but smaller.
- Antennae of first instarinstar:
immature stages (larva or nymph) of insects in between molts
larvae have 13 segments, increasing in number with each moltmolt:
process of shedding the external skeleton during periods of growth; occurs between successive instars of a larva or nymph
to reach 24 - 25 segments.
Eggs
- 3.9 - 4.4 mm (0.15 - 0.17 in.).
- Contained within an egg pod approximately 19.05 - 21.6 mm (0.75 - 0.85 in.) in length.
- Pale yellow.
Hosts
Citrus hosts
All Citrus species and their hybrids.
Non-citrus hosts
Wide host rangehost range:
the range of species that a particular organism can feed on to achieve successful growth and reproduction
. Preferentially feeds upon:
- barley grasses, Hordeum spp.
- brome, Bromus spp.
- filaree, Erodium ssp.
- legumes
- Stipa spp.
- tarweeds, Hemizonia spp.
- wild lettuce, Lactuca ssp.
Transiently feeds upon:
- alfalfa, Medicago sativa
- almond, Prunus dulcis
- avocado, Persea americana
- bean, Phaseolus vulgaris
- beet, Beta vulgaris
- cabbage, Brassica oleracea var. capitata
- corn, Zea mays
- dwarf mistletoe, Arceuthobium campylopodum
- grape, Vitis spp.
- marigold, Tagetes spp.
- plum, Prunus salacina
- prune, Prunus domestica
- timothy, Phleum pratense
- tomato, Solanum lycopersicum
Host damage
Leaves
Feeds along edges of leaves.
Twigs
Occasionally feed on the epidermis of stems.
Biology
In California, nymphs emerge from overwintered eggs in April and mature by early July. New eggs are deposited in mid- to late September. Nymphs feed on foliage with a preference for new growth. The devastating grasshopper prefers semi-arid or Mediterranean habitats and also lower areas at the foothills of mountain ranges, ridges, slopes, and banks of ravines where soil is rocky.
Comments
Devastating grasshoppers are good fliers. They were responsible for enormous damage to rangeland in the United States in 1957 and 1958, destroying 3 - 4.5 million acres by reaching densities of 35 - 100 feeding grasshoppers per square yard.
References
Bruner, L. 1893. The more destructive locusts of America north of Mexico. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.
Flint, M.L. 2008. U.C. pest management guidelines: Citrus grasshoppers (http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r107304311.html).
Rentz, D.C., and D.B. Weissman. 1982. Faunal affinities, systematics, and bionomics of the Orthoptera of the California Channel Islands. Univ. Calif. Press.
Scharpf, R.F., and T.W. Koerber. 1986. Destruction of shoots, flowers, and fruit of dwarf mistletoe by grasshoppers in California. Can. J. For. Res. 16: 166-168.
Schell, S., and S. Schell. 2007. Devastating grasshopper species fact sheet. In R.E. Pfadt. 1994. Field guide to common western grasshoppers. Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station, Bull. 912.(http://www.uwyo.edu/grasshoppersupport/html_pages/ghwywfrm.htm).
Authors
Martin, K.W., A.C. Hodges, and N.C. Leppla
