Melanoplus differentialis
Table of Contents
Common Name: Differential Grasshopper
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia |
Phylum: Arthropoda |
Class: Insecta |
Order: Orthoptera |
Family: Acrididae |
Genus: Melanoplus |
Species: Melanoplus differentialis |
Conservation Status
Identifying Features
Differential grasshoppers are 1-2" long. Their bodies are green to brown with yellow and they have a glossy appearance. They have large, striped, hind legs, clear wings, short antennae, and large eyes.
Habitat & Range
These grasshopers live in fields, grasslands, and open forests across much of the United States, into Southern Canada, and Northern Mexico.
Behavior
They feed off of plants, and create a scraping trill noise.
Life Cycle
Eggs hatch in late spring after overwintering in the ground. They breed in early summer.
Featured image by James Dake
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