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). A small, long-winged species with a variety of body color patterns of brown, tan, and green. It is usually spotted and marked with dark brown and black. Both sexes exhibit green-brown morph variation. Some specimens are greener, while others may be entirely tan and brown. The compound eyes are tan with dark spots and marking.

Overwinters in the egg stage. Egg hatching begins in mid-June and continues over a 4 to 6-week period. Adults occur from July through September (Otte 1984, Pfadt 2002, and Vickery and Kevan 1985).

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). The body length to end of forewings is 14 mm to 21 mm for males, and 18 mm to 27 mm for females. Dorsal surface of the pronotum is similar to that of its congener, Spotted-wing Grasshopper (Orphulella pelidna), having dark triangular markings at the posterior edge, constricted near the midpoint, but cut by only one sulcus (groove or furrow). This feature is diagnostic for quickly separating this species from O. pelidna.

Easily confused with its congener, the Spotted-wing Grasshopper (O. pelidna), which is larger. Refer to that species for diagnostic characteristics to determine positive identification.

Generally, inhabits grasslands or pastures on dry, or semi-dry, sandy and loamy soils. In the Great Plains, it is most abundant in dry, though not extremely dry, shortgrass and mixedgrass prairies (Capinera et al. 2004, Otte 1984, Pfadt 2002, and Vickery and Kevan 1985).

Usually feeds on grasses in proportion to species’ abundance. Among grass species observed being consumed are blue gramma (Bouteloua gracilis), side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), buffalograss (Munroa squarrosa), western wheatgrass (Elymus smithii), tall dropseed (Sporobolus compositus), sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus), reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea), and many more. In addition, two species of sedges, needleleaf sedge (Carex duriuscula) and clustered field sedge (Carex praegracilis). Also known to feed on some forbs, fungi, and arthropod body parts (Pfadt 2002).

Males sometimes court females by stridulating, making a faint ticking sound. Most of the time males stalk moving females slowly and with stealth. When they are close, they pounce upon the females without any signaling. After the pair are coupled, any stirring or resistance by the female induces the male to stridulate, which keeps the mating pair together. Oviposition has not been observed in the field. Females lay from 10 to 13 eggs per pod. Nymphs pass through 5 instars before reaching the adult stage (Pfadt 2002).