NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/853309
G rasshoppers are grasshoppers, right? Little green or brown things with long legs that eat your garden or compete with your cows for food. Sure, they can make decent fishing bait if you can't find worms, but beyond that, you'd probably just as soon be rid of them. Well, friends, it's a big broad world out there, and you might be surprised by the diversity, and yes, beauty, of grasshoppers. There are at least 108 species of grasshoppers found in Nebraska, a diversity reflective of the wide range of rainfall amounts and habitat types found in the state. That diversity doesn't include grasshoppers' close relatives, katydids and crickets, which are certainly interesting and attractive as well. The easiest way to tell them apart is that katydids and crickets have antennae longer than their bodies and grasshoppers have short antennae. While many grasshoppers are, indeed, little green or brown things with long legs, many are much more colorful than you might think. There is incredible variety in the size, shape and intricate patterns found on Nebraska's grasshoppers, especially when you get close enough to really admire them. Some of their visual characteristics help them hide from predators, while others are used for communication or simply to identify others of their own kind. Regardless, it's hard to look at grasshoppers without bias and not marvel at their beauty. Of Nebraska's 108 grasshopper species, only a few cause damage to crops or pastures. Some grasshopper species feed exclusively on grasses and sedges, but others have a much broader diet and still others specialize on one or a few kinds of broadleaf plants. They use the tips of their antennae to help them decide whether or not a plant is something they want to eat. While grasshoppers can be numerous enough to consume tremendous quantities of vegetation, high numbers of grasshoppers also create a plentiful supply of food for birds and other wildlife that depend upon them. Nebraska's grasslands would be much poorer without them. ■ ABOVE: The painted grasshopper (Dactylotum bicolor) is a gorgeous flightless grasshopper found in the dry grasslands of North America. OPPOSITE: The cudweed grasshopper (Hypochlora alba) feeds almost exclusively on cudweed sagewort, and is perfectly camouflaged to hide on its favorite food plant. Story and photos by Chris Helzer 50 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2017