Montana Field Guide

The following comes 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). A small, yellowish-brown or gray grasshopper mottled with dark stripes and spots. A dark stripe extends from the back of the eye onto the lateral side of the pronotum. The forewings have a thin white stripe with dark brown spots the length of the wings which gives this species its common name. The wings are long, extending to the tip of the abdomen or slightly beyond.

Overwinters in the egg stage. Nymphs appear in spring. Adults occur from June to September (Capinera et al. 2004, Capinera and Sechrist 1982, Hebard 1928, Otte 1984, Pfadt 2002, Scott 2010, and Vickery and Kevan 1985).

The following is taken from Hebard (1928), Brooks (1958), Helfer (1971), Otte (1981), Capinera and Sechrist (1982), Vickery (1985), McDaniel (1987), Pfadt (2002), Capinera et al. (2004), and Scott (2010). The body length to the end of forewings for males is 15 mm to 24 mm, and for females 17 mm to 29 mm. Antennae are tan or pale and slightly sword shaped. Hind tibia is pale orange. There is a distinct median ridge on the dorsal surface of the pronotum.

Can be confused with its congener the Crenulated Grasshopper (Cordillacris crenulata), which has a scalloped stripe on the forewing. C. occipitalis is larger than C. crenulata. The wing markings are diagnostic for separating the two species.

Inhabits shortgrass, mixed-grass, and bunchgrass prairies, especially those with sandy or gravelly soils and sparse vegetation (Brust et al. 2008, Capinera et al. 2004, Capinera and Sechrist 1982, Otte 1984, Pfadt 2002, and Vickery and Kevan 1985).

The following comes from Capinera et al. (2004), Capinera and Sechrist (1982), Otte (1984), Pfadt (2002), Vickery and Kevan (1985). This species is a nonselective grass feeder, consuming a wide variety of species. Common host species include blue gramma (Bouteloua gracilis), needle-and-thread (Stipa comata), western wheatgrass (Elymus smithii), sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus), cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), thread-leaved sedge (Carex filifolia) and needleleaf sedge (Carex duriuscula). Field observations reveal that it grazes on a minimum of 15 species of grasses and 4 species of sedges.

Male courtship displays are similar to those of its congener the Crenulated Grasshopper (Cordillacris crenulata). Upon hatching, the nymphs pass through 5 instars before reaching the adult stage in about 36 days. Females may oviposit their eggs below a clump of grass or on bare sites in eroded areas and pocket gopher mounds. Three eggs are laid per pod (Capinera et al. 2004, Capinera and Sechrist 1982, Otte 1984, Pfadt 2002, and Vickery and Kevan 1985).

In association with other outbreak species, the Spotted-wing Grasshopper can increase its numbers to cause damage to certain grasslands and prairies but it usually makes up less than half of the population of a grasshopper outbreak (Capinera and Sechrist 1982, Pfadt 2002,
and Schell et al. 2005).