Montana Field Guide

The following comes from Brooks (1958), Helfer (1971), Capinera and Sechrist (1982), Otte (1984), Vickery and Kevan (1985), McDaniel (1987), Pfadt (2002), Capinera (2001), Capinera et al. (2004), Brust et al. (2008), and Scott (2010). This species is highly variable in its overall appearance. The hind wings can be yellow, orange or red with a dark brown to blackish marginal border, but regionally one color tends to dominate. The forewings are brown and speckled, and often have a light yellowish stripe along the anterior edge which forms a light stripe on the medial surface when the wings are folded, and the individual is at rest. The body color is grayish brown with a yellow abdomen in males, often dark brown with the segments bordered by yellow in females. The median carina (ridge) on the pronotum (thorax) is distinct, but only slightly elevated with a single incision slightly forward of the middle. The inner face of the hind femur is blueish-black with 3 pale yellowish markings on the dorsal surface, the anterior one forming a light ring near the terminal joint (knee). The hind tibia is dark brown or bluish-black with a pale ring at its basal third. Note that these characteristics can be variable depending upon regional locations within its geographic range.

Communicative behavior/Crepitation*
Both males and females crepitate in flight and when disturbed. Researchers have recorded the rates to about 33 crepitations per second, plus hind femur tipping and raising when on the ground, and producing “chirps” by stridulation*, especially during courtship approaches and territorial displays (Otte 1970).

*Crepitation is the sound produced by grasshoppers making a clicking or snapping noise with their wings when in flight, during courtship, territorial encounters or being disturbed.
*Stridulation is rubbing one body part against another, usually the hind femur against the forewing in the case of the Band-winged Grasshoppers. This is often used for attracting a female during courtship (Otte 1970).

The following is taken from Vickery and Kevan (1985), Pfadt (2002), and Scott journal note (2021). This species overwinters in the 4th or 5th nymphal instar stage. This is one of the first adult grasshoppers in Montana to appear in spring, sometimes as early as the last week of March, due to overwintering in the late nymph stage. Sudden drops in temperature and spring snowstorms only slow their activity. As soon as the temperatures rise, the snow melts and ground temperatures reach about 60° F, they are again active, and crepitating over the landscape. They are present until around mid-July when they die-off and are replaced by the congener Red-winged Grasshopper (A. pseudonietana).

The following comes from Brooks (1958), Helfer (1971), Otte (1984), Capinera and Sechrist (1982), Vickery and Kevan (1985), McDaniel (1987), Pfadt (2002), Capinera (2001), Capinera et al. (2004), and Scott (2010). The male body size is 20-25 mm, and female’s 30-37 mm. The hind femur length in males is 11-12.2 mm, and for females 14-17 mm. The number of antennal segments for males is 23-25, and for females 24-25.

This species can possibly be confused with the Red-winged Grasshopper (A. pseudonietana), as that species usually inhabits the same habitats, but occurs as an adult in July. However, there could be some time overlap under certain conditions (Scott journal note 2021).

Inhabits a wide variety of communities wherever grasses constitute part of the vegetation, such as all prairie and grassland types, forest openings, mountain meadows, shrubland steppes, and alpine areas up to 11,000 feet, especially those with gravelly or sandy soils (Otte 1984, Vickery and Kevan 1985, and Pfadt 2002).

The Speckled Range Grasshopper feeds mainly on grasses and sedges. Observations indicate that it includes at least 16 species of grasses and 3 species of sedges (preferring Stipa, Agropyron, and Carex species) depending upon the presence and availability of species within the diverse habitats it occupies. It will also consume small amounts of forbs, fungi and other arthropods (Otte 1984, Vickery and Kevan 1985, and Pfadt 2002).

Courtship occurs on the ground. A male, detecting a female up to 2 feet away, moves toward her in a series of short running spurts, pausing and stridulating with one to three chirps, and repeats the process until he is within one inch of the female, facing her head-on. They wave their antennae at each other, the male continuing to chirp and moving to her side, sometimes butting her thorax. Continuing to chirp, the male places his front tarsus on her middle leg femur and stomps the ground with his hind tarsus, followed by a series of 4-5 chirps, mounts the female from the rear and copulates. Length of compilatory time has been observed to last about 23 minutes. The female deposits her eggs in bare soil about 2 inches deep, laying 20 to 21 eggs per pod, which is light brown to brown and 4.5-5.2 mm long. The eggs are non-diapause and hatch within about 40 days. The hatching nymphs develop quickly. One study found that in a mixed-grass prairie, at 5000 feet, they reach their 3rd instar stage by late August and the 4th and 5th instar stages by late September, which overwinter and emerge as adults in early spring. There is one life cycle per year, two years at higher elevations and latitudes (Otte 1970 and 1984, and Pfadt 2002).