Minnesota Grasshoppers, Crickets, and Katydids

Roesel’s katydid (Roeseliana roeselii) is a small, short-winged, shield-backed katydid. It is native to Europe, where it is called Roesel’s bush-cricket. In 1953 it was reported at two locations in Quebec. These were the first North American records. It has spread and now occurs in Canada from Prince Edward Island to Manitoba, and in the United States from Maine to Minnesota south to Maryland and Iowa. Adults are found from late June through October in meadows and grassy fields, at the margins of pastures, and in ditches and roadsides. They require a moist area with tall grasses that is undisturbed by mowing or grazing.

Photo by Alfredo Colon

Adults are ½″ to 1″ in length and usually dark brown, sometimes yellow, rarely green. The plate covering the first segment of the thorax is brown on top, black on the sides, and cream-colored around the margins of each side. There are three pale green or yellow spots on each side of the thorax. Most adults have short wings and cannot fly. In most years, only about 1% have long functional wings. In years with exceptionally hot summers there are more winged adults.

Sword-bearing conehead (Neoconocephalus ensiger) is a common, large, meadow katydid. It is often heard at night but seldom seen in daylight. During the day it perches head down on the lower stalk of vegetation with only its wings and hind legs visible, appearing like a grass blade. At night the female can be found near a calling male feeding on the seed head of a grass plant.

Sword-bearing conehead has two color phases, leaf green and dark tan. It is most easily identified by the song of the male. The male has sound-producing organs, a “scraper” at the anal edge of the right front wing and a “file” near the base of the left front wing. By rubbing the file against the scraper the male produces a distinctive song. It is a continuous series of high-pitched lisps, clearly separated, produced at the rate of 10 per second. It is often compared to the sound of a distant locomotive.

Photo by Bill Reynolds

Aside from its song, sword-bearing conehead is identified by the long wings and antennae; the rounded “cone” at the top of the head that is separated from the head by a gap; the narrow yellowish edging on the thorax and the front wing; and the curved, sword-like ovipositor on the female.

Migratory grasshopper (Melanoplus sanguinipes) is a common, medium-sized, spur-throated, short-horned grasshopper. It may be the most common species of grasshopper in North American grasslands. It is common in Minnesota. It is found in a wide variety of habitats, including prairies, meadows, pastures, abandoned fields, woodland openings, and roadsides.

It is a serious agricultural pest, causing more crop damage than any other species of grasshopper in North America. As its common name implies, the migratory grasshopper congregates into swarms and migrates in search of food. When they do they may devastate all leafy vegetation wherever they land. Swarms have been detected at all elevations up to 13,000 feet and have been recorded traveling as much as 575 miles.

Photo by Bill Reynolds

The family short-horned grasshoppers have antennae no more than half the length of the body, upper thoracic plate (pronotum) not extending over the abdomen, well developed wings, and a three segmented foot. The subfamily spur-throated grasshoppers have a tiny bump on their “throat”; a flat, rounded pronotum; a vertical face; and clear hindwings. Migratory grasshoppers are identified by hind wings that are longer than the body; front wings that are about as long as the body and are mostly transparent but have dark spots; a pale yellow stripe behind the eye; a banded hind femur; and features at the tip of the abdomen visible only in an extreme close-up photo.

This is a very common genus of native crickets. It can be found under rotten logs, under stones, in mole hills, and other moist dark places, but is most often encountered in basements. Unlike most crickets it has no hearing organs (tympanum).

The family (Rhaphidophoridae) is identified by its distinctive, hump-backed shape, lack of wings and tympanum, and antennae longer than the body. The genus (Ceuthophilus) is identified by four end segments (tarsi) on each leg and the lack of a spine on the front of the tibia of the foreleg.

Photo by Bill Reynolds

This may be the most common large bush katydid. It is found from spring to autumn feeding on leaves and tender stems of a variety of plants. The head, body, wings, and legs are pale grass green, making it difficult to see except when it is startled into flight.

Photo by Bill Reynolds

fork-tailed bush katydid (Scudderia furcata)

obscure pygmy grasshopper (Tetrix arenosa)

spotted bird grasshopper (Schistocerca lineata)

northern bush katydid (Scudderia septentrionalis)

snowy tree cricket (Oecanthus fultoni)

Forbes’ tree cricket (Oecanthus forbesi)

Photo by Greg Watson