Nevada
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Nevada is a mostly arid and mountainous state in the western United States, dominated by desert landscapes like the Mojave in the south and the Great Basin in the north.[1] Grasshoppers are common in Nevada’s ecosystems, especially in the sagebrush and grassland areas, where they play important roles in food webs and can occasionally reach outbreak levels, impacting vegetation.
State ecology
Nevada’s arid ecology, dominated by sagebrush steppe, desert plains, and sparse vegetation[1], provides ideal conditions for grasshoppers. Warm, dry summers and periodic rainfall spur vegetation growth, creating food sources that fuel population booms. These outbreaks, common in Nevada’s rangelands, can impact grazing areas and agriculture, making grasshopper dynamics closely tied to the state’s climate and landscape patterns.
Grasshopper hatching in Nevada varies each year depending on weather conditions, with different species emerging at different times in the spring. In very early spring, species like the two-striped grasshopper (Melanoplus bivittatus) and the Mormon cricket (Anabrus simplex) are among the first to hatch. As the season progresses into early spring, species such as the pallid-winged grasshopper (Trimerotropis pallidipennis), the Nevada sage grasshopper (Melanoplus rugglesi), the packard grasshopper (Melanoplus packardii), and the valley grasshopper (Oedaleonotus enigma) begin to emerge. Mid-spring sees the appearance of the big-headed grasshopper (Aulocara elliotti), the clear-winged grasshopper (Camnula pellucida), the migratory grasshopper (Melanoplus sanguinipes), and the Jerusalem cricket (Stenopelmatus fuscus). Finally, in late spring, the red-legged grasshopper (Melanoplus femurrubrum) hatches. These staggered hatch times reflect the diversity of grasshopper species in Nevada and the influence of seasonal weather patterns on their life cycles.[2]
Species gallery
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Species of management concern
Nevada is home to approximately 118 species of grasshoppers, but fewer than ten are considered major threats to agriculture due to the significant damage they can cause to rangelands and crops. [2] The primary species of management concern include the pallid-winged grasshopper, the big-headed grasshopper, the clear-winged grasshopper, the migratory grasshopper, the Nevada sage grasshopper, the packard grasshopper, the red-legged grasshopper, the two-striped grasshopper, and the valley grasshopper. The Mormon cricket, although technically a katydid, is also a significant pest often grouped with grasshoppers due to its similar feeding behavior and impact. These species are prioritized in monitoring and control efforts due to their tendency to form outbreaks and consume large amounts of vegetation, which can threaten livestock forage and overall rangeland health. For information on each of these species specific to Nevada see the Field guide to grasshoppers of economic importance in Nevada.
Featured resource
Grasshopper management
To address grasshopper and Mormon cricket outbreaks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in collaboration with the Nevada Department of Agriculture, implements suppression programs. These initiatives focus on monitoring populations and, when necessary, applying targeted treatments to mitigate the impact on rangeland ecosystems. Grasshopper populations that require suppression programs are typically evaluated individually and can be challenging to predict. However, surveys of adult grasshoppers conducted by APHIS in late summer and fall can occasionally help forecast areas at risk for damaging outbreaks in the following year. Land managers and property owners often seek APHIS assistance when there is a known history of grasshopper-related damage, a projected threat to rangeland resources for the upcoming season, or when spring assessments of nymph populations and survey data indicate the likelihood of a significant outbreak. [3]
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Outbreaks
Nevada has experienced notable grasshopper activity in recent years, with outbreaks affecting various regions of the state. In 2019, Nevada experienced such a severe grasshopper outbreak that the insects were visible on weather radar and dimmed the lights along the Las Vegas Strip. By July, researchers estimated that nearly 46 million grasshoppers were present in the Las Vegas area alone.[4]
In 2023, significant grasshopper infestations were reported in areas such as Gardnerville, where residents encountered an unusual surge of clear-winged grasshoppers. The Nevada Department of Agriculture, noted that this was the first outbreak of this specific grasshopper species in the Carson Valley in 37-years.[5]
Organizations
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Resources
| Name | Year published | Resource link | Descriptive keyword | Language | Author |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Field guide to grasshoppers of economic importance in Nevada | View | Glossary, Photos, Species identification, Biology, Life cycle, Behavior, Pesticides, Survey, Integrated pest management, Biological control, Culture, Chemical control, Mechanical control, Economics | English | University of Nevada | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | ||
| Nevada Mormon Cricket Grasshopper Program FAQ | 2026 | View | Management, Control, Private land | English | Nevada Department of Agriculture |
| 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 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 | |
| UC Integrated Pest Management for Home Gardeners and Landscape Professionals | 2013 | View | Life cycle, Pesticide management, Management | English | University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program |
| USDA APHIS grasshopper newspaper bundle from outbreaks in the 1980s | 1980s | Bundle, Media article, Newspaper article, Outbreaks, Grasshoppers, Management | English | United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service | |
| 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 |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) (2025) Ecoregions of Nevada. U.S. Department of the Interior. https://dmap-prod-oms-edc.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/ORD/Ecoregions/nv/nv_front.pdf
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Skelly JA, Johnson W, Riggs W, Knight J (n.d.) Field guide to grasshoppers of economic importance in Nevada. University of Nevada Cooperative Extension & Nevada Department of Agriculture. Funded by the Renewable Resources Extension Account. https://hopperwiki.org/images/9/92/Field_guide_to_grasshoppers_of_economic_importance_in_Nevada.pdf
- ↑ United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (2025) Draft Environmental Assessment: Rangeland Grasshopper and Mormon Cricket Suppression Program, Churchill, Humboldt, Pershing, and Washoe Counties, Nevada. CEQ Identification Number: NV-25-01-EAXX–005–32–24P–1737125462. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/grasshopper
- ↑ Gouge DH, Getts TJ, Stock TW, Connett JF, Gay M (2023) Grasshoppers. School & Home Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Newsletter, June 2023. University of Arizona, Cooperative Extension University of California, Oregon State University, and University of Wyoming. https://acis.cals.arizona.edu/docs/default-source/community-ipm-documents/newsletters/jun2023-azhomeschoolipm-newslter_grasshoppers_vf-for-posting.pdf?sfvrsn=29322ba1_0
- ↑ The Record-Courier (2023) Grasshoppers likely to stick around for a while. The Record-Courier, July 17, 2023. https://www.recordcourier.com/news/2023/jul/17/grasshoppers-likely-to-stick-around-for-a-while