Montana Field Guide

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.

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

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).

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).

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

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).