IS IT A PAINTED GRASSHOPPER
October 8, 2009
I saw this insect sitting on the leaf of
Milkweek Plant. This area is a part of
Buffer area of SGNP forest. Since it’s
eyecatching i took two to three Pics.
HARI IYER
THANE, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA.

Ak Grasshopper from India

Hi HARI IYER,
Since you found this grasshopper on milkweed, we wonder if perhaps it might be one of the Toxic Milkweed Grasshoppers in the family Pyromorphidae.  Sadly, we have decided we need to go to sleep for the night, and our brief internet search did not reveal a species name for your lovely grasshopper.  Perhaps one of our readers will provide an answer for us.

Ak Grasshopper from India

Update:  Thanks to Karl for the comment with the identification.  The link provided the following information:
“Poekilocerus pictus belonging to Family Pyrogomorphinae (known for cryptic as well as bright colours hence called Gaudy Grasshoppers are also known for “Spear” shaped heads) is commonly known as Ak Grasshopper (and one of the many Painted Grasshoppers), and is one of the most colorful grasshoppers of India. The nymphs display spots of varied colours from yellow, orange to blue and green. The adults show yellow and blue striped on head and thorax, a bright red abdomen, green-yellow forewings and red hind wings which are seen only in flight. The adults grow to about 60mm and are capable of good flight.
The adults are generally seen post-monsoon and, if conditions are favorable, they swarm. The food plant for this is Calotropis sp., especially C. procera, however it is known to attack many crops (including C. gigantea – Giant Milkweed). The color in nymphs as well as adults is bright and warning and is explained due to the presence of toxic alkaloids present in Calotropis they feed on.
The eggs are laid in “pods” (each pod contains 70 – 200 eggs) during the monsoon months June to August, and the nymphs hatch around September. The nymphs are usually seen near Calotropis plants, and by October the adults are seen specifically on the food plant. I have no records of finding it in the months after monsoon, however literature says that eggs laid in the month of September to November that hatch in April – May, here the incubation period is longer than during monsoon months due to, perhaps, climatic conditions.
According to literature, the adults are also known to turn cannibalistic even in the presence of ample food – for reasons unknown!”

What is this Grasshopper?!?!?
September 13, 2009
Hi Mr. Bugman!
I am a ninth grade student down in Texas, and I am doing a Biology Pre-Ap project on Arthropods. I caught this grasshopper (actually, my dad did in a dry creekbed. The pictures are of the side, top, and bottom view. I was wondering if you could Identify it. Please and Thanks!!!  Please help!!! Due date coming up soon . Thank you for all of your help. I might need more soon!
Student in Need
San Antonio Area, Texas

Grasshopper

Dear Student in Need,
We do not condone parents doing homework for students which constitutes academic dishonesty.  We feel the same about identifying the four photographs you have sent to us, though we applaud your honesty in admitting that these identifications are needed quickly for a school project.  The purpose of this project is to teach necessary skills that you would not be getting should we identify all of your requests for you.  Since this is a research project, we would recommend that you try to identify your three grasshoppers on BugGuide by browsing through the Grasshoppers in the suborder Caelifera, and that you try to identify the Skipper by browsing through the superfamily Hesperioidea also on BugGuide.  Even if your identifications are incorrect, you will be learning the fundamentals of taxonomic classification and eventually learning the correct answers in school can become part of a learning dialog.

Eric Eaton Comments
September 16, 2009
Daniel:
I very much like how you handled this identification request!  Should you eventually want to post this somewhere else on your site, I can tell you it is a female in the genus Syrbula.  I think both species occur in Texas.  Males are smaller and dark brown with ivory markings.
Eric

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Is this a grasshopper? If so what kind?
August 14, 2009
This was found in Selmer, TN. McNairy County. We are located approximately 75 miles east of Memphis, TN near the MS border. I never had a chance to see it actually fly. It just crawled and hopped small distances mostly. It was relatively slow and didn’t seem very frightened by us.
Ken Shreeve
35.181391, -88.708587 Selmer TN

Eastern Lubber Grasshopper

Hi Ken,
This is an Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, Romalea microptera.  There is a black form and an orange form of this species.  According to BugGuide:  “Common name lubber means “a clumsy or lazy person” (from Middle English lobre meaning lazy, or lout, related to lob). The use for this grasshopper likely refers to their slow movements–with ample chemical defenses, this grasshopper does not need to move quickly.“

GRASSHOPPER A
July 27, 2009
A fairly common native grasshopper form Washington State. This one is over 2 inches long and I thought it was a two striped (Melanoplus bivittatus) but not sure. It does have clear wings.
Ernie
Washington State

Two-Striped Grasshopper

Hi Ernie,
We agree that this is a Two Striped Grasshopper, Melanoplus bivittatus, based on images posted to BugGuide. Since your are not using the form on our website for your submissions, you are creating additional work for us in posting your letters and photos.

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