Subject: New Mexico Grasshoppers
Location: Southwestern New Mexico (Luna County)
September 5, 2013 6:53 pm
Hi, We’ve been experiencing an explosion of these grasshoppers following a wetter than usual monsoon season. They are actively engaged in mating at the moment, and I suspect that the hundreds I’ve seen on my land will soon become thousands. I really like their coloration, but can’t identify them. I’m familiar with the Barber Pole (AKA Rainbow or Painted) Grasshoppers from Arizona, but these are quite different. The average adult size is from 2.5” to 3” in length. Thanks!
Signature: Tim
Hi Tim,
These large, colorful, flightless Grasshoppers are called Plains Lubber Grasshoppers, Brachystola magna, and according to BugGuide: “Often appears locally in huge numbers for a season or two in areas where few were seen for many years, only to ‘disappear’ again the following year.”
