Nebraska

Nebraska
Nebraska is within:
Country:	United States of America

Nebraska, located in the central Great Plains of the United States, is home to vast prairies and farmlands that support a wide variety of grasshopper species. While grasshoppers are a natural part of the ecosystem, some species can become pests during outbreak years, damaging crops and rangelands.

State ecology

Nebraska, situated in the central Great Plains, spans a diverse landscape ranging from the mixed-grass prairies of the Sandhills to the agricultural heartlands of the eastern region. This ecological and climatic diversity supports a wide variety of grasshopper species, some of which are economically significant pests. Nebraska is home to several converging ecological zones including deciduous forest, tallgrass, mixed-grass, and shortgrass prairie. As a result, Nebraska is home to species typical of eastern woodlands and semi-arid western habitats. The state's warm summers, periodic droughts, and cold winters can create favorable conditions for grasshopper population surges, especially during dry, warm springs and summers.

Highlighted species from Nebraska

Species	Official common name	Image
Aeoloplides turnbulli	Turnbull’s grasshopper
Aeropedellus clavatus	Club-horned grasshopper
Ageneotettix deorum	White-whiskered grasshopper
Amphitornus coloradus	Striped grasshopper
Anabrus simplex	Mormon cricket
Arphia conspersa	Speckled rangeland grasshopper
Arphia pseudo-nietana	Red-winged grasshopper
Aulocara elliotti	Big-headed grasshopper
Aulocara femoratum	White cross grasshopper
Boopedon nubilum	Ebony grasshopper
Brachystola magna	Plains lubber grasshopper
Camnula pellucida	Clear-winged grasshopper
Chortophaga viridifasciata	Northern green-striped grasshopper
Cordillacris crenulata	Crenulated winged grasshopper
Cordillacris crenulata	Crenulated winged grasshopper
Cordillacris occipitalis	Western spotted-winged grasshopper
Derotmema haydenii	Hayden's grasshopper
Dissosteira carolina	Carolina grasshopper
Encoptolophus costalis	Dusky grasshopper
Eritettix simplex	Velvet-striped grasshopper
Hadrotettix trifasciatus	Threebanded grasshopper
Hesperotettix viridis	Meadow purple-striped grasshopper
Hypochlora alba	Cudweed grasshopper
Melanoplus angustipennis	Narrow-winged sand grasshopper
Melanoplus bivittatus	Two-striped grasshopper
Melanoplus borealis	Northern grasshopper
Melanoplus bowditchi	Sagebrush grasshopper
Melanoplus bruneri	Bruner spur-throated grasshopper
Melanoplus confusus	Pasture grasshopper
Melanoplus dawsoni	Dawson's spur-throat grasshopper
Melanoplus differentialis	Differential grasshopper
Melanoplus differentialis	Differential grasshopper
Melanoplus femurrubrum	Red-legged grasshopper
Melanoplus foedus	Striped sand grasshopper
Melanoplus gladstoni	Gladston grasshopper
Melanoplus infantilis	Little spur-throated grasshopper
Melanoplus keeleri	Keeler grasshopper
Melanoplus kennicottii	Kennicott's spur-throat grasshopper
Melanoplus lakinus	Lakin grasshopper
Melanoplus occidentalis	Occidental grasshopper
Melanoplus packardii	Packard grasshopper
Melanoplus sanguinipes	Migratory grasshopper
Mermiria bivittata	Two-striped mermiria grasshopper
Metator pardalinus	Blue-legged grasshopper
Orphulella speciosa	Pasture grasshopper
Phlibostroma quadrimaculatum	Four-spotted grasshopper	File:File:Fld-Phqu2N01-03.jpg
Phoetaliotes nebrascensis	Large-headed grasshopper
Pseudochorthippus curtipennis	Marsh meadow grasshopper
Psoloessa delicatula	Brown-spotted range grasshopper
Spharagemon collare	Mottled sand grasshopper
Spharagemon equale	Say's grasshopper
Trachyrhachys aspera	Finned grasshopper
Trachyrhachys kiowa	Kiowa grasshopper
Trimerotropis pallidipennis	Pallid-winged grasshopper
Xanthippus corallipes	Red-shanked grasshopper

Species of management concern

There are 108 species of grasshoppers in Nebraska and only several species are known to cause damage. Haldeman's grasshopper (Pardalophora haldemani) known to cause damage to rangelands. The migratory grasshopper (Melanoplus sanguinipes), the two-striped grasshopper (Melanoplus bivittatus), the differential grasshopper (Melanoplus differentialis), the red-legged grasshopper (Melanoplus femurrubrum), are all important pest species.

Guide to summer feeding species

Guide to fall/spring feeding species

More resources by University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension

Grasshoppers are present throughout Nebraska, but the most significant damage typically occurs in regions receiving less than 25 inches of rain annually. In most years, this makes the western half of the state more prone to severe grasshopper outbreaks. They mainly target wheat, alfalfa, soybeans, and corn, but in outbreak years, they can feed on and severely harm nearly any type of crop, as well as trees, shrubs, and home gardens. They tend to avoid dense plant canopies and are most commonly found feeding along field borders and grassy waterways.

The number of grasshopper species known in Nebraska is likely to evolve over time, as some species have limited ranges, specific habitat needs, or are simply hard to detect. Between 2005 and 2008, seven species not recorded in the state for at least a century were newly identified, including the graceful range grasshopper (Boopedon gracile), Encoptolophus subgracilis, the two-spined spurthroated grasshopper (Melanoplus bispinosus), the northern grasshopper (Melanoplus borealis), Melanoplus punctulatus, Paratylotropidia brunneri, and Psinidia fenestralis. Although B. gracile was officially added in 2007, older misidentified specimens suggest it had been present much earlier. It has since been found in several other locations. These species may have been overlooked due to their seasonal timing, specialized habitats, preference for areas outside typical rangelands, or difficulties in accurate identification.

View U.S. Grasshopper Forecast Hazard Maps

Grasshopper management

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service – Plant Protection and Quarantine (APHIS-PPQ), in collaboration with state agencies like Nebraska Department of Agriculture, and local landowners, conducts annual surveys to track grasshopper densities. These surveys help identify hotspots and predict potential outbreaks before significant damage occurs.

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension supports grasshopper management by providing research-based guidance on monitoring, identification, and integrated control strategies. It educates landowners and producers on effective, environmentally responsible practices to reduce grasshopper damage in rangelands and crops.

Featured resources

• 
  The grasshoppers of Nebraska
• 
  A Guide to Grasshopper Control on Rangeland
• 
  A Guide to Grasshopper Control in Cropland

Select photos from Nebraska

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Outbreaks

Nebraska faced periodic grasshopper outbreaks beginning in 1857, but the most severe occurred in July 1874, when massive swarms devastated large areas of the state. Though additional invasions followed in 1875 and 1876, none matched the destruction of 1874. Newspapers initially downplayed the damage to protect the state's image, but reports of the devastation soon spread eastward. A vivid account of the 1876 outbreak, written by “F.N.C.” of Buffalo County, was later included in Everett Dick’s Conquering the Great American Desert (1975), published by the Nebraska State Historical Society.

Click here to read some quotes of first hand accounts.

In recent years, Nebraska has experienced notable grasshopper outbreaks, particularly in the western and southwestern regions. These infestations are largely attributed to consecutive years of below-normal precipitation, which create favorable conditions for grasshopper population growth. Annual fall surveys conducted by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have identified several counties with adult grasshopper densities exceeding 15 per square yard—a threshold indicating potential economic damage.

Organizations

Organization name	Acronym	Website	Type	Focus	Focus keywords
Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources	IANR	https://ianr.unl.edu/	University	Education, Research, Monitoring, Management	Extension
National Grasshopper Management Board	NGMB	https://www.sites.google.com/site/ngmborg/home	Non-profit Organization	Governance, Management	Coordination, Natural sciences
Rangeland Grasshopper and Mormon Cricket Suppression Program at the United States Department of Agriculture		https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/grasshopper-mormon-cricket/ct_grasshopper_mormon_cricket	Government	Management, Education, Information Hub	Control, Forecasting, Monitoring
University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension		https://extension.unl.edu	University	Education, Research, Monitoring, Management	Extension