Bird grasshopper (Schistocerca pallens)

Schistocerca pallens Bird grasshopper
Distribution
Taxonomy
Family:	Acrididae
Subfamily:	Cyrtacanthacridinae
Genus:	Schistocerca
Additional resources
Full taxonomy at OSF

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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.

Nomenclature

Schistocerca pallens (Thunberg, 1815). For full nomenclature, see this taxon's page on Orthoptera Species File

Resources

Name	Year published	Resource link	Descriptive keyword	Language	Geographic purview	Author
Action plan for managing the Central American locust	2019		Management, Biology, Species identification, Biopesticide, Robotics, Drones, Technology	Spanish		International Regional Organization of Plant and Animal Health
Grasshoppers of the Western United States			Management, Species identification	English		United States Department of Agriculture
Orthoptera Species File			Species identification, Biology	English		Orthoptera Species File Online
South American Acridia management dashboard	2023		Management, Communication resource	Spanish		The National Food Safety and Quality Service
South American locust WhatsApp Alert Channel	2023		Communication resource, Artificial intelligence, Emergency alerts	Spanish		The National Food Safety and Quality Service
Sustainable use and conservation of microbial and invertebrate biological control agents and microbial biostimulants	2023		Management, Biological control, Biopesticide	English		Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International
The Grasshoppers of the Western U.S. Lucid mobile app	2016		Management, Species identification	English		APHIS PPQ Science & Technology Insect Management and Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory (Phoenix Station), United States Department of Agriculture, Center for Plant Health Science and Technology of the USDA, University of Nebraska, Chadron State College
The Grasshoppers of the Western U.S. Lucid mobile app	2016		Management, Species identification	English		APHIS PPQ Science & Technology Insect Management and Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory (Phoenix Station), United States Department of Agriculture, Center for Plant Health Science and Technology of the USDA, University of Nebraska, Chadron State College

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.

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.

Identification resources

Name	Year published	Resource link	Descriptive keyword	Language	Geographic purview	Author
Action plan for managing the Central American locust	2019		Management, Biology, Species identification, Biopesticide, Robotics, Drones, Technology	Spanish		International Regional Organization of Plant and Animal Health
Grasshoppers of the Western United States			Management, Species identification	English		United States Department of Agriculture
Orthoptera Species File			Species identification, Biology	English		Orthoptera Species File Online
South American Acridia management dashboard	2023		Management, Communication resource	Spanish		The National Food Safety and Quality Service
South American locust WhatsApp Alert Channel	2023		Communication resource, Artificial intelligence, Emergency alerts	Spanish		The National Food Safety and Quality Service
Sustainable use and conservation of microbial and invertebrate biological control agents and microbial biostimulants	2023		Management, Biological control, Biopesticide	English		Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International
The Grasshoppers of the Western U.S. Lucid mobile app	2016		Management, Species identification	English		APHIS PPQ Science & Technology Insect Management and Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory (Phoenix Station), United States Department of Agriculture, Center for Plant Health Science and Technology of the USDA, University of Nebraska, Chadron State College
The Grasshoppers of the Western U.S. Lucid mobile app	2016		Management, Species identification	English		APHIS PPQ Science & Technology Insect Management and Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory (Phoenix Station), United States Department of Agriculture, Center for Plant Health Science and Technology of the USDA, University of Nebraska, Chadron State College

Biology

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.

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.