California Red-winged Grasshopper
Arphia saussureana
This record describes Arphia saussureana (species). Recorded family: Acrididae. Recorded order: Orthoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Like A. pseudonietana , except abdomen and ventral thorax typically paler brownish or yellowish with limited darker coloration (typically banded or solid dark brown to black in A. pseudonietana ); hind femur normally with two complete pale cross bands (usually one in A. pseudonietana ) hind tibiae lighter in color, often bluish, sometimes dull yellowish or brownish, but blackened toward base and tip. A. ramona & behrensi are usually smaller, and proportionately more slender, with the head noticeably narrower and with a much narrower vertex/fastigium. The wings of A. saussureana are nearly always red (yellow or orange in the other two), with the dark cross band distinctly wider. A. saussureana is a late season species while the others are spring species. A. Ramona (with normally orange wings) occurs almost entirely further south, while A. behrensi (with yellow wings) broadly overlaps distribution with A. saussureana . It has been much debated whether this species is truly distinct from A. pseudonietana . The only distinctions seem to be paler body coloration and distribution, with this species displacing darker A. pseudonietana west from the Sierras in northern California and southern Oregon. Otte (1982) treats them as distinct; most other authors do not. Paler specimens colored like A. saussureana occur throughout the range of A. pseudonietana , though they are uncommon (more frequent in north than in south), and almost always they are female.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids)
- Suborder
- Caelifera
- Family
- Acrididae (Short-horned Grasshoppers)
- Subfamily
- Oedipodinae
- Tribe
- Arphiini
- Genus
- Arphia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Open sunny areas, varied but mostly not in broad valley bottoms.
Geographic Range
northern California (north from about Monterey) and Oregon west of Sierras.
Seasonal Activity
Apparently hatching in spring and maturing in summer, with adults mostly from July (rarely as early as May) until October (some probably surviving until freezing weather or perhaps into winter in some areas).
About Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids: the wider group
Order-level background for Orthoptera, the group containing Arphia saussureana. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Orthoptera includes ~28,000 described species of grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids. Desert locusts can form swarms covering 460 square miles containing up to 80 million individuals per square kilometer.
Ecological role of the group
Grasshoppers and crickets are a primary food source for birds, reptiles, and small mammals. Cricket farming is a growing industry - crickets require 12× less feed than cattle to produce the same amount of protein, using 2,000× less water.
Economic and practical significance of the group
A single large locust swarm can consume the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people. The 2019-2021 East Africa locust crisis affected food security for 42 million people across multiple countries. Global crop losses from locusts can reach billions annually.
Recorded sources for this group: FAO, UN World Food Programme, research publications. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Frequently Asked Questions About California Red-winged Grasshopper
What is California Red-winged Grasshopper?
California Red-winged Grasshopper (Arphia saussureana) is a species in the family Acrididae, within the order Orthoptera.
How do you identify California Red-winged Grasshopper?
Like A. pseudonietana , except abdomen and ventral thorax typically paler brownish or yellowish with limited darker coloration (typically banded or solid dark brown to black in A. pseudonietana ); hind femur normally with two complete pale cross bands (usually one in A. pseudonietana ) hind tibiae lighter in color, often bluish, sometimes dull yellowish or brownish, but blackened toward base and tip. A. ramona & behrensi are usually smaller, and proportionately more slender, with the head noticeably narrower and with a much narrower vertex/fastigium. The wings of A. saussureana are nearly always red (yellow or orange in the other two), with the dark cross band distinctly wider. A. saussureana is a late season species while the others are spring species. A. Ramona (with normally orange wings) occurs almost entirely further south, while A. behrensi (with yellow wings) broadly overlaps distribution with A. saussureana .
Where is California Red-winged Grasshopper found?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Open sunny areas, varied but mostly not in broad valley bottoms. |
| Range | northern California (north from about Monterey) and Oregon west of Sierras. |
When is California Red-winged Grasshopper active?
California Red-winged Grasshopper: seasonal activity - Apparently hatching in spring and maturing in summer, with adults mostly from July (rarely as early as May) until October (some probably surviving until freezing weather or perhaps into winter in some areas)..