Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Obscure Bird Grasshopper (Schistocerca obscura)




Obscure Bird Grasshoppers like the female pictured above are common and widespread in the southern United States. They are also sometimes commonly known as Bird Locust. An Old World species in this genus, Schistocerca gregaria, is noted for its swarming and migratory behavior. It is the locust of biblical plagues. Fortunately, New World species are much less prone to swarming.

Please see BugGuide for more information, links and detailed identification information: Schistocerca obscura, Genus Schistocerca, Subfamily Cyrtacanthacridinae.





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5 comments:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

This is quite the handsome grasshopper. I would hate to be in a plague of them though.

Jason Riedy said...

Thank you! I had wondered which version of grasshopper these little robotic-looking creatures were. Neat looking, but rather hungry.

Shelly Cox said...

This is one species I've been trying to find to photograph. I've seen them in years past, but none for the past few years. I was hoping to get a picture for the book I am working on. Your picture is beautiful.

tess said...

Wonderful capture.

Lana Gramlich said...

These are awesome--so big, beautiful & impressive.