Great Basin Grasshopper
Trimerotropis undescribed-species-a
This record describes Trimerotropis undescribed-species-a (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
Mostly relatively flat areas, often alkaline encrusted with Salt Grass and Greasewood, but also less alkaline areas dominated by Big Sagebrush. Those found in alkaline areas are more likely to show greenish or bluish wings than those in non-alkaline areas, which are most often yellowish or only slightly greenish. However, many populations show a full range of wing colors.
Geographic Range
Primarily in Great Basin, Snake River Plains, and Columbia Plateau. Sneaking up valleys into the western edge of the Colorado Plateaus, and into the eastern Sierras in California. Known from California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and British Columbia. It should be watched for in sw. Wyoming, where other Great Basin species occur. It occurs almost entirely to the west of T. gracilis , which occurs in the Rockies, Colorado Plateaus, Black Hills, and northwestern Great Plains. Nearly all published records for T. gracilis and T. sparsa from west of the Colorado and Missouri River drainages are referable to this unnamed species.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
Overwintering as eggs buried in the ground. Adults in summer to frost.
About Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids: the wider group
Order-level background for Orthoptera, the group containing Trimerotropis undescribed-species-a. 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 Great Basin Grasshopper (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by David J. Ferguson