Pasture Locust
Orphulella speciosa
Identification 4
Slanted face, but less slanted than many other related species. Color is variable between green and brown. The pronotum usually has two dark triangles on each side toward the rear, abutting the lateral carinae. Filiform (very narrow) antenna. Lateral carina of pronotum bend inwards and incised once. This is a variable species and it can be helpful to rule out similar species: Velvet-striped Grasshopper (occurs in the spring and has pinched pronotum), White-whiskered Grasshopper (white antennae), Marsh Meadow Grasshopper (black and yellow abdomen and no spots on wings), Obscure Grasshopper (lateral carina on pronotum parallel and flattened antennae), and Striped Slant-faced Grasshopper (chocolate stripes begin above eyes and extend back). The closely related Spotted-Winged Grasshopper (O. pelidna) has pronotal lateral carinae cut by 2-3 sulci and the wings usually reach the end of or beyond the hind femora.
Resources 4
Grasshoppers of the Western U.S.: https://idtools.org/id/grasshoppers/factsheet.php?name=13208
Capinera, J.L., R.D. Scott, and T.J. Walker. 2004. Field Guide to Grasshoppers, Katydids, and Crickets of the United States. Cornell University Press.
Otte, D., 1981. The North American Grasshoppers, Vol. I. Acrididae: Gomphocerinae and Acridinae. Harvard University Press.
Occurrence 4
Statewide. Knutson (1937) reported it from ~35 counties. Froeschner (1954) reported it from 57 counties, but it seems to be less common in central Iowa now.
Habitat 4
In Iowa, upland areas of shorter grass.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Denis Doucet, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Denis Doucet
- (c) Sam Kieschnick, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Sam Kieschnick
- (c) Matt Pelikan, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Pelikan
- (c) Tyler Grant, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
