The two-stripe grasshopper (Melanoplus bivittatus) is a large
grasshopper that feeds on a wide variety of wildflowers, but
also crops.
This slant-faced grasshopper (Mermiria sp) is part of a group called the
toothpick grasshoppers, and is well camouflaged for living in grasslands.
This is a nymph of a fuzzy
olive-green grasshopper
(Campylacantha olivacea).
The red-legged grasshopper (Melanoplus
femurrubrum) is one of the most
abundant in Nebraska grasslands, where
it willingly eats grasses, wildflowers and
shrubs. Its abundance and broad diet also
combine to make it a pest in cropland
and gardens.
The coloration of the showy grasshopper (Hesperotettix
speciosus) is an excellent match for the leaves of annual
sunflowers, one of its favorite food plants.
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2017 • NEBRASKAland 53
Chris Helzer is
the Director of
Science for The
Nature
Conservancy in
Nebraska. He has
been a contributor
to NEBRASKAland
since 1994.
Chris blogs at prairieecologist.com l i t
