Bird grasshopper (Schistocerca pallens)
| Schistocerca pallens | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Taxonomic classification | |
| Suborder: | Caelifera |
| Family: | Acrididae |
| Subfamily: | Cyrtacanthacridinae |
| Tribe: | Cyrtacanthacridini |
| Genus: | Schistocerca |
| Scientific name | |
| Schistocerca pallens (Thunberg, 1815) | |
| Geography | |
| Native countries: | |
The Bird grasshopper (Schistocerca pallens) is a species of grasshopper in the subfamily Cyrtacanthacridinae (migratory bird locusts).
Overview
Schistocerca pallens is a species of bird grasshopper which resembles the closely related Schistocerca cancellata. This species can be found throughout South America, as well as in Central America, the Antilles, and southern North America. S. pallens is not a swarming species and does not exhibit gregarious behavior, but it is known to occur in high enough abundance to cause damage to some crops.[1]
Taxonomy
For full nomenclature and taxonomic details of this taxon, see Orthoptera Species File No subspecies recorded for this taxon.
Resources
| Title | Author(s) | Year | Geographic purview | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South American Acridia management dashboard | The National Food Safety and Quality Service | 2023 | View URL | |
| South American locust WhatsApp Alert Channel | The National Food Safety and Quality Service | 2023 | ||
| Grasshoppers of the Western United States | United States Department of Agriculture | View URL | ||
| Action plan for managing the Central American locust | International Regional Organization of Plant and Animal Health | 2019 | View URL | |
| The Grasshoppers of the Western U.S. Lucid mobile app | APHIS PPQ Science & Technology Insect Management and Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory (Phoenix Station), United States Department of Agriculture and Center for Plant Health Science and Technology of the USDA | 2016 |
Distribution
Primarily occurs in Central America, South America, and Caribbean islands, though some populations exist in southern North America as well. Known to occur in the United States, Mexico, the Antilles, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay. [1]
For more information and distribution records see [GBIF]
Identification
This grasshopper is light brown or yellow-green, and may exhibit a diffuse longitudinal brown stripe or scattered brown spots. It also displays a cream longitudinal stripe on the costal region of the wing. This species appears similar to the South American locust (Schistocerca cancellata), but possesses a more slender body shape.[1]
Identification resources
| Title | Author(s) | Year | Geographic purview | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South American Acridia management dashboard | The National Food Safety and Quality Service | 2023 | View URL | |
| South American locust WhatsApp Alert Channel | The National Food Safety and Quality Service | 2023 | ||
| Grasshoppers of the Western United States | United States Department of Agriculture | View URL | ||
| Action plan for managing the Central American locust | International Regional Organization of Plant and Animal Health | 2019 | View URL | |
| The Grasshoppers of the Western U.S. Lucid mobile app | APHIS PPQ Science & Technology Insect Management and Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory (Phoenix Station), United States Department of Agriculture and Center for Plant Health Science and Technology of the USDA | 2016 |
Biology and ecology
Habitat and Ecology
S. pallens prefers fields that are fallow or untended, and does not penetrate deep into well cultivated fields, rather remaining on the edges. Individuals may feed on a wide variety of crops. This grasshopper loves a “mosaic” or heterogeneous type of habitat, with patches of older vegetation, younger vegetation, and bare ground. Uncontrolled burns can create this type of habitat, promoting population growth. In Venezuela, two generations occur every year.[1]
Pest Status
This grasshopper is not a species of swarming locust, and does not display genuine gregarious behavior. However, it may occur in high abundance and cause damage to crops. Bird grasshoppers primarily consume sugar cane, though they are also known to damage almond, banana, beans, breadfruit, carnauba wax palm, chickpeas, coconut palms, cotton, groundnuts, legumes, maize, onions, rice, sorghum, sweet potato, and tomatoes.[1]
Specimen contributors for this species
Bionomia links specimen records in GBIF to the people who collected and identified them. Each list shows the top 20 for this species.
Collected by
People who collected specimens of this species in the field.
- Fábio Santos — 5 specimens collected
- David Marcelo Torres Arizaga — 3 specimens collected
- Jacob Gorneau — 1 specimen collected
- Vincent Antoine Vos — 1 specimen collected
- Igor Azevedo — 1 specimen collected
- Claude Kolwelter — 1 specimen collected
- Rodrigo Secolin — 1 specimen collected
- Edgar Blois Crispino — 1 specimen collected
- Paula Andrea Sepúlveda-Cano — 1 specimen collected
- Onildo Marini-Filho — 1 specimen collected
Identified by
People who determined the taxonomic identity of specimens of this species.
- Fábio Santos — 1 specimen identified
- Vincent Antoine Vos — 1 specimen identified