Nebraska

Nebraska
Nebraska is within:
Country:	United States

Rangeland portal / Nebraska

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.

Species gallery

• Highlighted species for Nebraska
• 
  Sagebrush grasshopper (Melanoplus bowditchi)
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  Bruner spur-throated grasshopper (Melanoplus bruneri)
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  Sprinkled broad-winged grasshopper (Chloealtis conspersa)
• 
  Blue-legged grasshopper (Metator pardalinus)
• 
  Clear-winged grasshopper (Camnula pellucida)
• 
  Common meadow katydid (Orchelimum vulgare)
• 
  Straight-lanced meadow katydid (Conocephalus strictus)
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  Haldeman's grasshopper (Pardalophora haldemanii)
• 
  Boll's grasshopper (Spharagemon bolli)
• 
  Common house cricket (Acheta domesticus)
• 
  Pronotal range grasshopper (Cratypedes neglectus)
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  Sword-bearing conehead katydid (Neoconocephalus ensiger)
• 
  Bunch-grass grasshopper (Pseudopomala brachyptera)
• 
  Pallid-winged grasshopper (Trimerotropis pallidipennis)
• 
  Ebony grasshopper (Boopedon nubilum)
• 
  Spotted bird grasshopper (Schistocerca lineata)

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
• 
  Biology and ecology of North Dakota grasshoppers 1962

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

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Resources

Name	Year published	Resource link	Descriptive keyword	Language	Author
A Guide to Grasshopper Control in Cropland	2008	View	Grasshoppers, Control, Agriculture	English	John C. Campbell, Gary L. Hein
A Guide to Grasshopper Control on Rangeland	2008	View	Grasshoppers, Control, Agriculture	English	John C. Campbell, Gary L. Hein, Patrick E. Reece
APHIS regulatory documents	2018		Early warning, Ecology, Public health, Social science, Culture, insecticide, Infestations, Environmental assessment, Rangeland management, Pesticides, Bundle, Environmental impact	English	Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
ARS grasshopper species fact sheets	1994		Management, Species identification, Series	English	Agricultural Research Services, United States Department of Agriculture
CARMA		View	Prototype cropland, Advice, Rangeland management, Crop health, Grasshoppers, Infestations, Outbreaks	English	Scott Shell Extension Entomology, University of Wyoming
Court rejects federal pesticide-spraying program on millions of acres of western rangelands	2025		Ecology, Spraying, Chemical control, Infestations, Management, Governance, Conservation, Land use management, Habitat	English
Field Guide to Common Western Grasshoppers	2002		Species identification, Field guide	English	United States Department of Agriculture, Robert E. Pfadt
Grasshopper infestation continues after pesticide spray canceled	2023		Spraying, Ecology, Environmental science, Infestations, Emergency response, Chemical control, Grazing	English	Alaina Mencinger
Grasshopper Integrated Pest Management User Handbook	2000		Biological control, Chemical control, Monitoring, Modeling, Population dynamics, Rangeland management, Decision making, Bundle, Ecology, Pesticides, Biopesticide, Integrated pest management	English	Agricultural Research Services, United States Department of Agriculture
Grasshopper watch	2022		Grasshoppers	English
Grasshoppers Are Descending on the West in Swarms	2021		Grasshoppers	English
Grasshoppers of the Western United States		View	Management, Species identification, Key	English	United States Department of Agriculture
Grasshoppers their habits and damage	1964	View	Grasshoppers, Outbreaks, Natural enemies, Ecology, Habitat, Quality illustrations, Species identification	English	United States Department of Agriculture
Hopper helper		View	Survey, Life cycle, Species identification, Integrated pest management	English	Wendal Cushing
Identification guides for pest grasshoppers in Nebraska	2009		Grasshoppers, Species identification, Nymphs, Biology, Management, Series	English	Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ron Seymour, Gary Hein, Jack Campbell, Jim Kalisch
Las Vegas resident shares experience as swarms of grasshoppers return to valley	2024		Outbreaks	English
Mega Disasters: Super Swarms of Locusts	2021		General locust education, Video	English
Montana.gov Orthoptera Field Guides		View	Species identification, Management, Biology, Distribution, Map, Rangeland management, Information hub, Website	English
Mormon cricket 'sludge' blankets northern Nevada roads causing crashes	2024		Media article, Outbreaks	English
Overview of the APHIS Rangeland Grasshopper and Mormon Cricket Suppression Program	2022		Management, Chemical control, Grasshoppers, Governance, Video	English	APHIS PPQ Science & Technology Insect Management and Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory (Phoenix Station), United States Department of Agriculture
Overview of the APHIS Rangeland Grasshopper and Moron Cricket Suppression Program	2022		Video, Grasshoppers, Management, Educational video	English	United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine
Pest Grasshoppers of the West	2005	View	Management, Species identification	English	University of Wyoming
Protecting U.S. rangeland from grasshoppers and Mormon crickets	2021	View	Outbreaks, Infestations, Mormon crickets, Rangeland management, insecticide	English	United States Department of Agriculture
Rangeland Grasshopper and Mormon Cricket suppression program	2019	View	Public health, Governance, Culture, Grasshoppers, Economics, Environmental assessment, Life cycle, Biology	English	United States Department of Agriculture
Rangeland Grasshopper Management	1993		Management, Species identification, Control	English	University of Wyoming, Jeffrey Lockwood, Scott Schell
The grasshoppers of Nebraska	2009	View	Species identification, Map, Glossary, Grasshopper development, Grasshoppers, Biology, Grasshopper anatomy	English	Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Mathew L. Brust, Wyatt Hoback, Robert J. Wright
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
USDA APHIS historical meeting report collection			APHIS archive 2024, Historical document, Annual report, Uncurated archive, Collection	English	United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
USDA APHIS-PPQ-Science & Technology Phoenix Lab Rangeland Unit project summary	2021		Summary, Set, Project, Project report	English, Spanish, French	APHIS PPQ Science & Technology Insect Management and Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory (Phoenix Station), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture

Rangeland portal / Nebraska