Montana Field Guide

The following is taken from Brooks (1958), Helfer (1971), Vickery and Kevan (1985), Pfadt (2002), Capinera et al. (2004), Capinera and Sechrist (1982), and Scott (2010). This is a small to medium-sized species. Reddish brown dorsally and bright yellow ventrally. Two other color variants, a dark brown and a blue, can be found in a population. The wings (tegmina) are long, narrow and gradually tapering, extending beyond the abdomen tip.

Overwinters in the egg stage and hatches in late spring over a 7-week period. Adults are active from July to late October (Pfadt 2002, Capinera et al. 2004, Capinera and Sechrist 1982, Schell et al. 2005, and Scott 2010).

The following is taken from Brooks (1958), Helfer (1971), Vickery and Kevan (1985), Pfadt (2002), Capinera et al. (2004), Capinera and Sechrist (1982), and Scott (2010). The body length to end of forewings is 17 to 24 mm for males, and 18 to 30 mm females. The pronotum is usually more lightly colored dorsally than the lateral lobe sides. Outer face of the hind femur is blackish above, yellow below, and red along the ventral edge. The hind tibia is red, rarely yellowish green in some individuals.

Southern Red-legged Grasshopper, M. propinquus, which occurs in the southeastern coastal plain states. But can be confused with any number of Melanoplus species. Be sure to collect males for genitalia comparisons to make positive identifications, especially in habitats and geographical areas where “look-a-likes” occur together (Scott 2010).

Favors areas with thick vegetation in grasslands and disturbed fallow fields, roadsides, fence rows, irrigation ditches, and weedy areas where its host plants occur. Also inhabits lawns and open woodlands (Capinera and Sechrist 1982, Capinera et al. 2004, and Pfadt 2002).

Depending upon plant species availability, it may feed on only forbs or be a mixed feeder, consuming a wide variety of both forbs and grasses. Host plants include legumes such as American Birds-foot trefoil (Lotus unifoliolatus,), white sweetclover (Melilotus albus), and yellow sweetclover (Melilotus officinalis), Chinese Bushclover (Lespedeza cuneata), milkvetches, alfalfa (Medicago sativa,), dandelion, Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), and ragweed. Also grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), barley, wheat (Triticum aestivum), smooth brome (Bromus inermis), Japanese brome (Bromus japonicus), timothy and reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea). (Pfadt 2002, and Schell et al. 2005).

The following comes from Pfadt (2002) and Schell et al. (2005). Upon hatching in late spring the nymphs pass through 5 instars and become adults in about 40 days. Due to the long hatching period nymphs may be encountered throughout the summer. In cage studies, females of this species require a preoviposition period of 9 to 15 days before beginning to lay eggs. Each female produced an average of 20 to 26 eggs per pod and an average of 336 eggs during their life span. Sod areas and field borders are favored egg laying sites.

The Red-legged Grasshopper can grow from low population densities to outbreak levels during the year and can persist in succeeding years if environmental conditions remain favorable. Considered a pest to alfalfa, soybeans, oats, barley, wheat, beets, and cabbage. It possesses powers of strong flight which allow adults to disperse to new habitats. In years of drought, the adults develop longer wings, fly more, and make long dispersal flights often accompanying the Migratory Grasshopper (M. sanguinipes) (Pfadt 2002, and Schell et al. 2005).