Two-banded Grasshopper
Trimerotropis bifasciata
This record describes Trimerotropis bifasciata (species). Recorded family: Acrididae. Recorded order: Orthoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Orthoptera (Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids)
- Suborder
- Caelifera
- Family
- Acrididae (Short-horned Grasshoppers)
- Subfamily
- Oedipodinae
- Tribe
- Trimerotropini
- Genus
- Trimerotropis
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Bare gravelly, often somewhat elevated patches; mostly in grasslands.
Geographic Range
Most of length of California in valleys west of the high sierras (not on the desert side), and north from the Transverse Ranges. Most common around the periphery of the Central Valley.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
Overwinters as eggs. Adults June or July until frost (or lingering into October or November in frost free seasons).
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: The type locality of Los Angeles is unlikely to be accurate, as the species is not known to occur there. It is likely that the specimen was collected somewhere to the north and labelled as from Los Angeles (perhaps where the collector was working from).
About Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids: the wider group
Order-level background for Orthoptera, the group containing Trimerotropis bifasciata. 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.
Photos of Two-banded Grasshopper (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by David J. Ferguson