Differential Grasshopper – Melanoplus differntialis Common Name: Differential Grasshopper
Latin Name: Melanoplus differntialis
Appearance:
Female differential grasshoppers are 34-50 mm long, whereas males are 28-37 mm long.
They have a glossy brownish-yellow tint. Their antennae are either brownish-yellow or brownish-red in colour.
Their cheeks are marked with herringbone, and their compound eyes are brown with bright dots. The upper hind leg’s hind femora are yellow with a black herringbone pattern. The lower hind limbs (hind tibiae) are yellow with black spines.
Their tarsi are yellowish. The protonum and forewings are shiny and homogeneous in appearance. Male cerci differ from female cerci in form.
Host plant:
Almost any plant, including maize, alfalfa, Bermudagrass, cotton, millet, peanut, rice, ryegrass, sorghum, Sudangrass, soybean, sugarcane, vegetables, wheat, flowers, and landscape plants. Territory:
It is likely found in northern Mexico, the central United States and southern Ontario, Canada.
Damages caused byDifferential Grasshopper:
All grasshoppers have mandibles (teeth) and cause plant damage by biting tissue pieces from leaves and other plant components. Feeding often begins on the outside margins of the leaves, with the chewed region having ragged or uneven edges. This is frequently distinct from the smoother, more equal damage caused by caterpillars.
Life history and Habits:
Each year, there is one generation. A mature female may lay up to six egg masses in soft soil, each containing 40-200 eggs. The eggs begin embryonic development the summer they are deposited, then undergo diapause for the winter, hatching during two weeks in early summer the following year. Nymphs require around 32 days to mature after hatching. Their growth is tightly coordinated, and most larvae grow into winged adults in a few days. Differential grasshoppers are polyphagous, consuming grasses and forbs, but feeding them forbs causes them to develop quicker. Giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida), common sunflower (Helianthus annuus), and prickly lettuce are the most popular food plants.
