Grasshopper/Mormon Cricket |
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Background
Grasshoppers and Mormon crickets are part of the native ecosystems of the United States. They play an important role, serving as food for wildlife and contribute to nutrient cycling on rangelands. There are over 700 different species of grasshoppers in the United States. Most species do not cause problems for ranchers and farmers, but approximately 40 species can develop into outbreak levels and damage crops and forage. Some of the most damaging species to rangeland forage include the migratory grasshopper (Melanoplus sanguinipes), bigheaded grasshopper (Aulocara elliotti) and whitewhiskered grasshopper (Ageneotettix deorum).
The two major species affecting croplands are the twostripped grasshopper (M. bivitattus) and the redlegged grasshopper (M. femurrubrum). (Grasshopper species information link: http://www.sdvc.uwyo.edu/grasshopper/) Although closely related to locusts that cause widespread devastation to large areas of Africa and Asia, true locusts do not occur in the United States. Grasshopper and Mormon cricket outbreaks in 2001 caused an estimated $25 million to crops in Utah alone, but outbreaks have historically occured throughout the 17 States that lie on or west of the 100th meridian.
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News and Information
Maps
- Hazard Map (PDF; 19 Mb)
Management
- Environmental Documents
- ARS Grasshopper Management
- Grasshopper Integrated Pest Management User Handbook
- Grasshopper Guidebook - Provisional (PDF; 1.8Mb)
Contact:
Charles Brown
Program Manager
301-734-4838
E-mail: Charles.L.Brown@aphis.usda.gov