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 medium-sized grasshopper with whitish, thread-like antennae on the dorsal surface (thus the common name). The body color is reddish-brown with many dark markings and a row of dark spots running down the center of the wing (tegmina). The hind tibia is bright orange or red.

Overwinters in the egg stage. Nymphs occur in June and adults appear from July into November. (Capinera et al. 1982, Capinera and Sechrist 2004, Otte 1984, Pfadt 2002, Schell et al. 2005, Scott 2010, 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 for males is 11 to 28 mm and for females, 15 to 28 mm. Wing length can vary from short to beyond the abdomen tip (usually about the length of the abdomen). The hind femur is marked dorsally with three dark spots, the center spot is triangular-shaped. The tip of the femur (knee) and junction with the tibia is black. Whitish stripes extend dorsally from the head onto the pronotum and are constricted near the middle.

Distinctive and easily identified when diagnostic characters are examined.

Found in native tallgrass, mixedgrass, and bunchgrass prairies, and on bare patches of ground in sandy blowouts, abandoned fields, hayfields, and grainfields. Common in these grasslands at altitudes up to 5700 feet. Numbers decline at 6700 feet and nonexistent at 7500 feet (Capinera et al. 2004, Capinera and Sechrist 1982, Otte 1984, Pfadt 2002, Schell et al. 2005, and Vickery and Kevan 1985).

Feeds primarily on green leaves of grasses and sedges. Also known to consume ground litter such as felled leaves, seeds, livestock dung and insects. This species will clip leaves when feeding, wasting more than they can eat (Capinera et al. 2004, Capinera and Sechrist 1982, Otte 1984, Pfadt 2002, Schell et al. 2005, and Vickery and Kevan 1985).

The following comes from Capinera et al. (2004), Capinera and Sechrist (1982), Otte (1984), Pfadt (2002), Schell et al. (2005), and Vickery and Kevan (1985). Males wander when seeking mates. Courtship consists of visual signals, the male raising and lowering his hind femora and antennae. Copulation has been observed to last only five minutes. Females lay their eggs in blue gramma (Bouteloua gracilis) or buffalograss sod, but sometimes in bare ground. They lay their first clutch when 14 days old. A female deposits succeeding clutches about every three days. The egg pods contain three to five eggs (average 4). Nymphs pass through 4 to 6 instars, reaching the adult stage in 40 to 48 days. There is one generation per year.

Can cause serious damage to rangelands during outbreaks where the White Whiskers Grasshopper can be the dominant species. High populations can persist for three to five years before crashing.