This November is shaping up to be prime time for observing a wide diversity of orthopterans (grasshoppers and their kin). The combination of an abundant monsoon along with drying autumn weather generally favors a broad spectrum of species, particularly in lower Sky Islands habitats such as deserts, grasslands, and mesquite woodlands. Let’s take a close look at a handful of fascinating species sure to excite your interest in this often overlooked or even reviled group of insects.
We begin with a group that is likely familiar to most people — the aptly named band-winged grasshoppers. Many species have a stripe or band on either or both of their fore and hind wings. Capable of short flights, these generally ground-dwelling grasshoppers often burst into the air when we invade their space.
It is then, when they are briefly airborne, that we can admire not only the bands in their wings but also the accompanying colors of many species. Green, turquoise, orange, red, yellow, brown and black are among the hues to be found on their inner wings.
The colors serve several survival purposes. If a predator, such as a greater roadrunner, flushes a band-winged grasshopper, it immediately homes in on those polychromatic wings. Upon rapidly landing, however, the outer appearance shifts dramatically to a cryptic one. Now the roadrunner loses sight of its prey, which easily blends into the background. Equally as important, the banded wings are used to good effect by males during short display flights intended to attract a mate. If you notice such antics in the wild, stay still and enjoy the show.
At the opposite end of the grasshopper observability spectrum are several species of lubber grasshoppers. They too have a fitting moniker, as “lubber” is an antiquated seafaring term referring to a clumsy or awkward person.
The spectacularly colored and patterned horse lubber grasshopper is an in-your-face species that is hard to overlook. Its size alone commands our attention. As is typical of most insect groups, females are larger than males and reach up to 3.5 inches — fairly gargantuan in the insect world.
They can tip the scales at up to 9-10 grams, making them heavier than most North American hummingbirds, as well as kinglets and bushtits! Unlike these birds and many other grasshopper species, the female horse lubber is utterly flightless.
That duty is left to the males, though not all of them. Only about 10 percent of males are capable of short, clumsy flights, during which their bright red inner wings are in full evidence. This time, however, the red is a warning color, telling predators to back off. Horse lubbers consume a broad spectrum of plants that translate into distastefulness to most species seeking to consume them.
Loggerhead shrikes have solved this problem by impaling horse lubbers on a spine and allowing them to “cure” over a number of days, effectively dissipating the offensive chemicals from the dead grasshoppers.
Rapacious southern grasshopper mice, living up to their billing, quickly dispatch horse lubbers, discarding the toxic bits while consuming the rest. The red inner wing color of males once again does double duty, enticing females to mate.
The plains lubber grasshopper, a member of the same subfamily, is not quite as colorful or behemoth. Still, this chunky species easily catches our eye as it lumbers along the ground. Spook it and it will hop, despite its tank-like build. Look closely and you will soon see why. The wings on both genders are vestigial stubs — relics of when, once upon a time, they indeed could take to the air.
Plains lubbers are attractively patterned in brown, blue, black and red. The red is mostly confined to their otherwise nonfunctional wings and again heralds the foul taste of this species to predators. Atop their bad taste, plains lubbers also pack a kick that Bruce Lee himself would be proud of and which no doubt dissuades at least less persistent predators. If it doesn’t, then perhaps vomiting in their face will. As with many other grasshopper species, plains lubbers “spit tobacco,” or regurgitate their stomach contents, in order to repel attackers.
If all of this was not enough to make the plains lubber a veritable superstar among insects, consider that it also eats other grasshoppers — including its own kind. Recently, I also saw one dining on a dead lizard. If you decide to pick up a plains lubber, you may well find out the efficacy of its jaws.
Unfortunately, space is not ample enough here to expound upon the joys of finding and observing orthopterans in the wild. I will, however, leave you with a cautionary tale. One is unfortunately quite familiar on a planet besieged and highly altered by humans — plummeting biodiversity. At Raven’s Nest Nature Sanctuary, we host a myriad of orthopteran species that wax and wane not only with the seasons, but also with the annual vagaries of weather.
One such species is the differential grasshopper. Back in 2009, this species had an outbreak year where it was supremely abundant. Upon stepping amid their ranks, they flew in such numbers that ducking was often a good strategy. Whatever the reason, I have yet to see another differential grasshopper since that year — anywhere.
So the next time you feel an urge to curse that grasshopper eating your flowers or edible garden, be thankful it’s still there. It’s a sign of the resiliency of Nature.
Vincent Pinto and his wife, Claudia, run Ravens-Way Wild Journeys LLC, their Nature Adventure & Conservation organization devoted to protecting and promoting the unique biodiversity of the Sky Islands region. RWWJ offers a wide variety of private, custom-made courses, birding & biodiversity tours. Visit: www.ravensnatureschool.org.
