Montana Field Guide

The following is taken from Vickery and Kevan (1985) and Pfadt (2002). A small to medium grasshopper. Its general color is gray or light shades of tan, with prominent black markings. Sides of the abdomen are cream colored. The dorsal area of the hind femur is dark with chevron-like markings. The hind tibia can be green, blue or pink.

The eggs require a long development period. A study in the Big Horn mountains of Montana showed most eggs required up to 3 years to hatch. No eggs hatched in one year. Alpine Grasshoppers, both male and female, have 5 nymphal instar periods which last 25 to 40 days. The hatching period is short, only 6 to 17 days. They start appearing from early to late June depending upon temperatures, which affect snow melt, soil thawing, and warming. Adults generally appear around mid-July. Numbers tend to dwindle throughout the summer with some individuals surviving into mid-September. Survivors continue to mate and are believed to lay eggs. If weather conditions become inclement they are forced to seek shelter. Early frosts do not seem to affect their survival (Pfadt 2002).

Body is small, ranging from 17-25 mm. Wings (tegmina) long, extending beyond the knee (apices) of the hind femur. The male genital cercus is medium to large, possess a dorsal thumb-like knob and a long slender curved ventral projection or hook (Vickery and Kevan 1985, Pfadt 2002).

Can be confused with the Little Spurthroated Grasshopper, Melanoplus infantilis, which often occupies the same geographical range and habitats (Pfadt 2002). Compare male genitalia for positive identification.

Inhabits foothills, grasslands, and montane parklands ranging from 3200 to 6400 feet (Pfadt 2002).

The Alpine Grasshopper has a diverse diet, and feeds on both forbs and grasses, consisting of "about 26 species of forbs, 11 grasses, and 2 sedges" (Pfadt 2002 for a detailed list of plant food species ingested).

Mating generally occurs in mid-August and egg laying about a week later. Females select bare ground between clumps of grass and deposit 8 to 12 eggs per pod (Pfadt 2002).