Western Lubber – Brachystola magna

Western Lubber – Brachystola magna Scientific name: Brachystola magna Common name: Western lubber, plains lubber grasshopper, homesteader, buffalo grasshopper   Appearance:  Western lubber is a large grasshopper, approximately 40 to 60 mm long and reddish brown in color. It also has black dots on the outer wings; however, the wings are small and are not used for flying. The antennae are bluish-brown, and the legs are reddish with a ridge near the upper and lower regions of the abdomen. Adult females are larger than males and have multicolored hindlegs.   Host plants or food:  Western lubber mainly feeds on forbs, such as sunflowers, ragweed, cotton, and lettuce. However, they may also eat insects.   Territory: Throughout North America   Mode of damage:  Western lubbers are a major defoliator and act as leaf chewers. They destroy the fields by destroying the foliage and leaving only the stem. Nymphs destroy the young seedlings, while adults destroy the foliage, buds, and flowers.   Habits and life history  Western lubbers usually have a two-year lifecycle. Since they are flightless, they migrate by hopping and crawling. The eggs of the western lubber require a two-year incubation period before they hatch into a nymph. Nymphal stage of the grasshopper lasts for almost 45 days, after which they transform into an adult during mid-summer.