Romalea guttata goes through various stages, like all insects. It is smaller than it is in the adult stage, wingless, and entirely black with one or more yellow, orange, or red stripes while it is in the nymph stage.
When they are adults, they are 2.5-3 in (64-76 mm) long, with wings that are half the length of their bodies, and either have totally black bodies (as in the nymph stage) with yellow or red striping, or have dull yellow bodies with black patches and patterns.
Diablo or “black diablo” are common names for the grasshopper when it is in its mature black colour phase. They are referred to as cheval-diable or the Devil’s horse in Louisiana. The bug is also referred to as a “graveyard grasshopper” informally.
Territory:
The grasshopper Romalea guttata, sometimes referred to as the eastern lubber grasshopper or simply the lubber grasshopper, is a species that is unique to the southeast and central regions of the United States. It is the most recognisable species of grasshopper in the Southeast United States, and it is well recognised for both its size and its unusual colouring.
Damages caused by Eastern Lubber Grasshopper:
Lubber grasshoppers are defoliators, consuming the tissue of numerous plants. They may totally strip plants of their leaves since they are gregarious and easily climb. But more frequently, they will consume irregular holes in the surrounding foliage before moving on to another leaf or plant. Despite their larger size, lubber grasshoppers do not do as much damage to crops as smaller grasshoppers do. Damage is frequently linked to places where semi-aquatic or weedy plants thrive, such as irrigation and drainage ditches and pond end margins. Grasshoppers that are originally present in these places move to nearby residential areas and crops, where they wreak harm. In order to prevent harm to economically significant plants, monitoring and treatment of regions where nymphal development takes place is advised, as is the case with many grasshopper species.
Life history and Habits:
One generation occurs annually, with the egg stage overwintering. Evidently, there is no required diapause during the egg stage; instead, when kept at low temperatures, they have a lengthy developmental phase. In the southern regions of Florida, these grasshoppers have a lengthy lifespan and can be found as nymphs or adults throughout the most of the year. Between March and April and around October and November, they can be seen in northern Florida and along the Gulf Coast. The months of July and August are when the most adults are visible. A month or so after the adults first appear, eggs start to be produced. The egg stage lasts 6 to 8 months. Females will start depositing eggs in the summer after mating. The male often keeps watch over the female while she is ovulating, sometimes for up to a day.
