Two-striped Grasshopper
Melanoplus bivittatus
They can leap up to 20 times their body length using specialized hind legs that store and release energy like a catapult.
- Scientific name
- Melanoplus bivittatus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Orthoptera › Acrididae › Melanoplus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Grasslands, meadows, agricultural fields, roadsides, and gardens
- Diet
- Herbivorous, consuming a wide variety of grasses, herbaceous plants, and crops
- Range
- North America, United States, Canada
- Size
- 30 to 55 mm in length
- Lifespan
- 1 year (adults live 2-3 months)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Widespread pesticide application and habitat destruction
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. Safe to observe from any distance. If handled, they may pinch slightly or regurgitate a harmless brown digestive fluid ('tobacco juice') as a defense mechanism. Simply wash skin with soap and water if contact occurs.
Melanoplus bivittatus , the two-striped grasshopper , is a species of grasshopper belonging to the family Acrididae. It is commonly found in North America, and is especially abundant on the Canadian prairies.
Photo: Ryan Hodnett, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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