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Montana Field Guide

Montana Field Guides

Buckell's Timberline Grasshopper - Buckellacris nuda

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Native Species

Global Rank: G4G5
State Rank: SNR


Agency Status
USFWS:
USFS:
BLM:


 

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General Description
The following is taken from Brooks (1958), Helfer (1971), and Vickery and Kevan (1985). A relatively small, robust, wingless grasshopper. Male color pattern greenish-black to brownish, with distinct paired longitudinal pale-yellow stripes running laterally from the eyes to the terminal abdominal segment. On females, these stripes occur only on the anterior segments. Hind femur of males usually with dark dorsal bars, but less apparent to absent in females. Hind tibia is yellow to yellowish green.

Phenology
Occurs early July to mid-September. Overwinters in the egg stage (Vickery and Kevan 1985).

Diagnostic Characteristics
Body size 15-24 mm. The prosternal spine in both sexes is blunt, not an acute point at the apex. Examine a male’s genitalia for positive identification: cercus is broad at base, tapering to an acute point at apex; furcula are well developed triangular plates (Vickery and Kevan 1985).

There are two other recognized species of this grasshopper for which it could be confused (but not in Montana): B. hispidia and B. chilcotinae chilcotinae. Their ranges are in British Columbia and Washington (Vickery and Kevan 1985).

Species Range
Montana Range Range Descriptions

Native
 


Range Comments
Interior British Columbia, Alberta, Washington, Idaho panhandle, and northwestern Montana, where it is confirmed for 2 counties (Vickery and Kevan 1985).

Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 11

(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version) Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density

Recency

 

(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)



Habitat
Alpine meadows among rocks, coarse vegetation and grasses; at elevations ranging from >2600 to 9000 feet and sometimes beyond timberline. Noted to "occur in discrete and disjunct populations" (Vickery and Kevan 1985).

Food Habits
No specific or favored food plants have been observed or noted.

Reproductive Characteristics
Its early occurrence of adults together with prolonged presence of nymphs indicate this species may have a 2-year life cycle (Vickery and Kevan 1985).


References
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Citation for data on this website:
Buckell's Timberline Grasshopper — Buckellacris nuda.  Montana Field Guide.  .  Retrieved on , from