Southeastern Lubber Love?
Location: rural Tennessee, edge of the Cumberland Plateau
June 26, 2011 3:41 pm
It’s been an active bug spring here on the Eastern Cumberland Plateau, and your website is my first resource for identifications. I saw these more colorful grasshoppers and haven’t quite matched them to previous posts, but think they must be Southeastern Lubbers. They are about 1 or 1-1/2 inch half long (female). Thanks for your tireless work for all us bug-watchers!
Signature: Bob Kieffer
Hi Bob,
Thanks for the compliment. After considerable research, we believe we have correctly identified your short winged mating Grasshoppers as Post Oak Grasshoppers, Dendrotettix quercus, based on images posted to BugGuide. The Insect Physiology & Behavior Research Group website has a very comprehensive page devoted to Post Oak Grasshoppers, and it indicates that when they are especially numerous, they can defoliate oak trees. You might want to notify the group of your sighting.
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for you research. I did contact the Insect Physiology group as you suggested, and they have confirmed the identification. They also were appreciative of the information on our sighting. Keep up the great work!
Bob