Post by trehopr1 on Aug 17, 2019 19:10:00 GMT
Now here we have another Western species of interesting note; the Plains Lubber Grasshopper (Brachystola magna). This large grasshopper is a "horse" among grasshoppers. Very stocky built and said to be quite heavy in terms of weight -- for an insect. In other words, you could practically throw a saddle on the beast. It is native to the Central U.S. and northern Mexico.
Generally speaking it does not cause significant damage to crops, and seems to prefer coarse broadleaved plants to crops. However, on occasion when the right conditions line-up they (like some of their brethren) increase exponentially in damaging numbers. It is during these times they are considered a pest of cotton in particular. In Texas, for example these hoppers were particularly bad in 1954, 1959, 1977, and 1979 from what I have read.
As you can see the species is incapable of flight which I suppose somewhat limits its range of destruction during bad years. These are 2 female examples which I acquired several years ago and I just found them fascinating to have for their size (3.5-4.0 inches) and general build.
Generally speaking it does not cause significant damage to crops, and seems to prefer coarse broadleaved plants to crops. However, on occasion when the right conditions line-up they (like some of their brethren) increase exponentially in damaging numbers. It is during these times they are considered a pest of cotton in particular. In Texas, for example these hoppers were particularly bad in 1954, 1959, 1977, and 1979 from what I have read.
As you can see the species is incapable of flight which I suppose somewhat limits its range of destruction during bad years. These are 2 female examples which I acquired several years ago and I just found them fascinating to have for their size (3.5-4.0 inches) and general build.
