Bird grasshopper (Schistocerca pallens)

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Bird grasshopper (Schistocerca pallens)
Bird grasshopper
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.[1]

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 Year published
South American Acridia management dashboard 2023 View URL Management, Communication resource Spanish Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia The National Food Safety and Quality Service 2023
South American locust WhatsApp Alert Channel 2023 View URL Communication resource, Artificial intelligence, Emergency alerts Spanish Argentina The National Food Safety and Quality Service 2023
Sustainable use and conservation of microbial and invertebrate biological control agents and microbial biostimulants 2023 View URL Management, Biological control, Biopesticide English Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International 2023



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

Name Year published Resource link Descriptive keyword Language Geographic purview Author Year published
South American Acridia management dashboard 2023 View URL Management, Communication resource Spanish Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia The National Food Safety and Quality Service 2023
South American locust WhatsApp Alert Channel 2023 View URL Communication resource, Artificial intelligence, Emergency alerts Spanish Argentina The National Food Safety and Quality Service 2023
Sustainable use and conservation of microbial and invertebrate biological control agents and microbial biostimulants 2023 View URL Management, Biological control, Biopesticide English Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International 2023



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.[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]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 COPR (1982) The Locust and Grasshopper Agricultural Manual. London: Overseas Pest Research. 318.