Texas Grasshoppers

An interesting, colorful little grasshopper. Spotted in Austin TX, in my back yard in June of 2001. Nothing like it in my insect field guide. This fellow was small. Grasshoppers are not my forte 🙂
Jim

Hi Jim,
Thanks for the photo of the colorful nymph. Sadly, most identification guides do not picture immature insects, and they often are not colored like the adults. We can’t help you with a species name either. The closest guess we can venture is perhaps the Painted Grasshopper, Dactylotum bicolor. Adults have similar coloration, but the pattern is different. It is found in Texas.

Ed. Note
July 1, 2010
WWe just identified this immature Aztec Spur Throated Grasshopper, Aidemona azteca, on BugGuide.

2nd grasshopper For tonight’s second contribution, another grasshopper. Again, in Austin TX. Closest I can come in the Insect field guide I have is Melanoplus ponderosus, a spur-throated grasshopper.
Jim

Thanks for you grasshopper photos Jim. We suspect this is an Alutacea Bird Grasshopper, Schistocerca alutacea. The distinguishing feature, not visible in your photo, is a yellow midline stripe. This grasshopper has several color variations, including greenish yellow to dark greenish brown. Fore wings are blackish yellow and hind tibia are red to green, or reddish yellow, bright yellow (like your photo), or black.