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Melanoplus sanguinipes (Fabricius)
Migratory Grasshopper
Family: Acrididae

Introduction to the Grasshoppers, Katydids and Crickets of BC

The Families of Orthoptera of BC

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Distribution of Melanoplus sanguinipes in British Columbia in British Columbia

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Species Information

This is a medium-sized species. Carpinera et al. (2004) provide the following description: “A grayish-brown species with a black stripe that usually extends from the eye onto the lateral lobe of the pronotum. Forewings are long, brownish, and bear a row of dark brown spots centrally. They extend at least to the tip of the abdomen and sometimes considerably beyond. Hind femora usually have two oblique dark bands. Hind tibiae are normally red but sometimes blue. Males are 19-24 mm long, females 18-32 mm.”

Biology

Diet:

This is a polyphagous species, but is selective about food to some extent, preferring dandelion, tumble mustard, wild mustard, pepperweed, western ragweed, downy brome, Kentucky bluegrass, barley, and wheat (Pfadt 2010).

Reproduction:

This is an early hatching species, with eggs hatching in mid-spring; adults are generally found frm August to October. Two or three generations may occur in warmer regions in a year (Carpinera et al. 2004). Eggs are laid among roots of grasses (Pfadt 2010).

Behaviour:

The greatest amount of migration in this species has been reported from regions with patchy and unpredictable food sources, such as Arizona and New Mexico (Pfadt 2010). Pfadt says: “swarming occurs on clear days when temperatures approach 80½F and winds are gentle and intermittent.” This species is active during the day and inactive at night (Pfadt 2010).

Habitat

This species is found in weedy pastures, crops, and other disturbed sites with a high percentage of annual weeds, where it feeds on grasses and broadleaf plants (Carpinera et al. 2004).

Distribution

Range

Global Range:

This species is found throughout the United States and southern Canada (Capinera et al. 2004).

BC Range:

This species is found throughout BC, (Haida Gwaii to Victoria, Tatshenshini to Flathead) (Miskelly, pers. comm. 2010).

Comments

This is a significant crop pest species that sometimes becomes extremely abundant; it causes more crop damage than any other species of grasshopper in the US (Capinera et al. 2004, Pfadt 2010). When abundance levels rise, the species becomes very gregarious, and individuals move as a group, often dispersing long distances (Capinera et al. 2004). it often moves “in massive swarms” (Pfadt 2010). Schell et al.(1994) particularly mention the following outbreaks: “A severe outbreak of the migratory grasshopper occurred in the mixedgrass prairie of South Dakota from 1937 through 1939 and an unusual but severe outbreak occurred in the bunchgrass prairie of British Columbia during 1944. In the latter case populations destroyed 70 to 80 percent of grasses on the open range.”

Status Information

Origin Status	Provincial Status	BC List (Red Blue List)	COSEWIC
Native	S5	No Status	Not Listed

BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer--the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Genetic and lineage information (NCBI Taxonomy Browser)

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Species References

Capinera, John L., Ralph D. Scott and Thomas J. Walker. 2004. Field Guide to the Grasshoppers, Katydids, and Crickets of the United States. Cornell University Press, Ithaca.

Spencer Schell, Jeff Lockwood, Scott Schell and Kiana Zimmerman. 1994. Grasshoppers of Wyoming and the West. University of Wyoming.

General References

Singing Insects of North America.
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