Insect
Gray Bird Grasshopper
Schistocerca nitensAlso known as Vagrant Grasshopper
Gray bird grasshoppers are exceptionally strong fliers that launch into fluttering, bird-like flight when flushed from cover. Both nymphs and adults are voracious plant eaters that feed during warm daylight hours, chewing indiscriminately through garden shrubs, citrus foliage, and native desert scrub. Females deposit pods containing dozens of eggs directly into loose soil, where embryos overwinter until spring rains initiate hatching.
HerbivoreInvertebrateArid-Adapted
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyBroad range of plant foliage, flowers, garden ornamentals, and agricultural crops
Predators
- American Kestrel
- Greater Roadrunner
- Western Fence Lizard
ThreatsPesticide applications and habitat destruction
HabitatsArid shrublands, deserts, agricultural fields, suburban gardens, and open woodlands
Life span8–12 months
Classification
- OrderOrthoptera
- FamilyAcrididae
- GenusSchistocerca
- SpeciesSchistocerca nitens
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Approach slowly: Walk with deliberate steps, as sudden motions trigger immediate, long-distance evasive flights.
- Inspect garden foliage: Look on sunny afternoons among warm ornamental shrubs or citrus trees where adults bask and feed.
Competitor (c) Chris Stahl, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative Christiaan Kooyman / Public domain · cc0
Close Relative Bob Peterson from North Palm Beach, Florida, Planet Earth! / CC BY-SA 2.0 · cc-by-sa
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Mystic Meadows
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