short-horned grasshoppers

Short-horned grasshoppers are found mostly in grasslands and other open places, some are found in forests. Adults are seen from May to October in Minnesota, year-round in the south. They are active during the day. Some feed exclusively on grasses, some feed primarily on forbs, and some feed on both.

Many Acrididae species are important pests of cultivated plants. The most destructive of these in Minnesota are red-legged grasshopper, two-striped grasshopper, and migratory grasshopper. All swarming locusts are in the family Acrididae. The Locust Plague of 1874 occurred when hordes of Rocky Mountain locusts invaded the Great Plains, swarming over an estimated 2,000,000 square miles. The Albert’s swarm in 1875 contained an estimated 12.5 trillion Rocky Mountain locusts. According to Guinness World Records, it was and remains the largest concentration of animals ever “speculatively guessed.”

Most grasshoppers in Minnesota do not survive the state’s harsh winters. Their eggs overwinter in the soil and hatch in the spring. The adults are not seen until late summer. A few species overwinter as second or third stage (instar) nymphs. These adults are seen in early spring.