Montana Field Guide

The following is taken from Hebard (1928), Brooks (1958), Helfer (1971), Otte (1981), Capinera and Sechrist (1982), Vickery and Kevan (1985), McDaniel (1987), Pfadt (2002), Capinera et al. (2004), and Scott (2010). This species has two color forms: brown with black and white markings, and green with black, brown, and white markings. The dorsal surface of the head has two black lateral stripes which extend onto the lateral edges of the pronotum bordered by white or cream stripes constricted near the midpoint. The forewings (tegmina) reach the tip of the abdomen. The hind tibia is buff with a dark stripe along the upper edge.

Overwinters in the nymph stage and hatches early. In early spring, it is found in its third or fourth instar stage. Adults are present from late May to late July. However, on warm winter spells this species’ nymphs may become active, as they are cold-tolerant, surviving freezing and experimental temperatures as low as 5 degrees F. It is suspected that the Velvet-striped grasshopper may be bivolitine (having two generations or broods per year) (Capinera et al. 2004, Capinera and Sechrist 1982, Otte 1984, Pfadt 2002, and Scott 2010).

The following comes from Hebard (1928), Brooks (1958), Helfer (1971), Otte (1981), Capineraand Sechrist (1982), Vickery and Kevan (1985), McDaniel (1987), Pfadt (2002), Capinera et al. (2004), and Scott (2010).The male body length is 16 mm to 20 mm, and females 21 mm to 29 mm. Antennae are club-shaped at the tip. The forewings (tegmina) are brown or green with a row of dark markings. The outer face of the hind femur is dark dorsally and pale tan ventrally, with no banding.

The Velvet-striped Grasshopper is the only Eritettex species found in Montana. Could be confused with the Spotted-wing Grasshopper (Orphulella pelidna) and the Pasture Grasshopper (Orphulella speciosa). Refer to those two species in this Field Guide to compare diagnostic characteristics.

Inhabits areas of mid and tall grass prairies with a diversity of forbs where the understory is blue gramma (Bouteloua gracilis), a short grass and preferred food plant. In the Appalachian region, it inhabits open grassy areas in treeless slopes and valleys (Capinera et al. 2004, Capinera and Sechrist 1982, Otte 1984, and Pfadt 2002).

The Velvet-striped Grasshopper feeds almost exclusively on grasses and sedges. When the nymphs emerge in early spring, they feed on the growing cool-season grasses such as bluegrass, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), prairie junegrass (Koeleria macrantha), thread-leaved sedge (Carex filifolia), and needleleaf sedge (Carex duriuscula). As the season progresses and they enter the adult stage they shift to warm-season plants, especially blue gramma (Bouteloua gracilis) (Pfadt 2002).

The following is taken from Capinera and Sechrist (1982), Otte (1984), Pfadt (2002), and Vickery and Kevan (1985). The male courtship consists of making three loud stridulations from the grasses, then moves about 12 inches and stridulates again. He follows a female up a grass stem to about an inch from her and rocks from side to side, stops, stridulates, and rushes toward her to copulate. Females oviposit into grass cover, often blue gramma (Bouteloua gracilis) or buffalograss (Munroa squarrosa, and deposits her eggs through the plant litter into the ground. She lays 12 to 20 eggs per pod arranged in two columns. Nymphs pass through 5 instars before reaching the adult stage.