Grasshopper
Location: Northeast Florida
August 22, 2011 7:43 pm
I saw this grasshopper in my yard in northeast Florida yesterday and again today. I’ve never seen one like it. It’s tan all over, and has very odd-looking striped eyes. It doesn’t seem to have wings or at least not fully grown wings. I went through all the grasshopper messages and photos here on WTB but couldn’t find anything that matched it.
Signature: Karen
Hi Karen,
We haven’t decided if we are more amused by the scientific name Schistocerca damnifica, or the common name Mischievous Bird Grasshopper. Both are pretty awesome. You are correct that this immature nymph does not yet have fully developed wings. You can read more about this species on BugGuide where it is described as: “Uniform reddish brown coloration above with no lighter bands, small size and pronotal ridge help distinguish this from other members of the genus.” We believe it is a new species for our website, unless this unidentified Red Grasshopper posted in 2005 is the same species.
What a name for a grasshopper! Thanks for identifying it for me. I’ve never seen a grasshopper like this before.
Karen