Oklahoma

Rangeland portal / Oklahoma

Oklahoma
Oklahoma is within:
Country:	United States

Oklahoma, located in the south-central United States, is home to a wide variety of grassland and prairie ecosystems that support many species of grasshoppers. These insects are most common in the drier western and central parts of the state, where native grasses provide ideal habitat. While grasshoppers are a natural part of the ecosystem, a few species can become serious pests during outbreak years, damaging crops, rangelands, and gardens.

State ecology

Oklahoma spans a diverse range of ecosystems—from the humid forests of the east to the dry, open grasslands and rangelands of the west. This ecological gradient supports a variety of grasshopper species, many of which thrive in its expansive prairies and agricultural areas.

Grasshoppers play an important ecological role as herbivores and prey species; however, under favorable environmental conditions, their populations can increase dramatically and become significant agricultural pests. Grasshoppers are capable of damaging crops throughout Oklahoma, but they are more likely to become problematic in the drier northwest regions that receive less than 30 inches of rainfall annually. During extended droughts, other areas of the state may also drop below this threshold, increasing their vulnerability. Additionally, the timing of rainfall plays a key role in egg and nymph survival. As a result, grasshopper outbreaks may occur in scattered areas for a few years before naturally declining.

A comprehensive survey from 1959 to 1961 recorded 117 species across 2,101 county records in Oklahoma. A more recent survey from June 2019 to October 2020, combined with museum specimen reviews, covered all 77 counties and added five new state records and 734 new county records, increasing total county records by 35% to 2,835. This updated data refines the known ranges of both economically important and conservation-sensitive species. Oklahoma State University reports over 130 species of grasshoppers in Oklahoma.

Species gallery

• Highlighted species for Oklahoma
• 
  Red-shanked grasshopper (Xanthippus corallipes)
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  Woodland meadow katydid (Conocephalus nemoralis)
• 
  Spotted bird grasshopper (Schistocerca lineata)
• 
  Short-winged meadow katydid (Conocephalus brevipennis)
• 
  Brown winter grasshopper (Amblytropidia mysteca)
• 
  Handsome grasshopper (Syrbula admirabilis)
• 
  Narrow-winged sand grasshopper (Melanoplus angustipennis)
• 
  Obscure grasshopper (Opeia obscura)
• 
  Olive-green swamp grasshopper (Paroxya clavuliger)
• 
  Two-striped mermiria grasshopper (Mermiria bivittata)
• 
  Common house cricket (Acheta domesticus)
• 
  White-whiskered grasshopper (Ageneotettix deorum)
• 
  Montezuma's grasshopper (Syrbula montezuma)
• 
  Large-headed grasshopper (Phoetaliotes nebrascensis)
• 
  Keeler grasshopper (Melanoplus keeleri)
• 
  Brown-spotted range grasshopper (Psoloessa delicatula)

Species of management concern

Oklahoma is home to hundreds of grasshopper species, but most do not become pests due to their small size or low population levels. In rangelands and pastures, issues typically arise from a group, or "complex," of species that occur together and multiply to damaging levels. The grasshoppers most responsible for economic damage in these areas include the two-striped grasshopper (Melanoplus bivittatus), the two-striped mermiria grasshopper (Mermiria bivittata), the migratory grasshopper (Melanoplus sanguinipes), the red-legged grasshopper (Melanoplus femurrubrum), the differential grasshopper (Melanoplus differentialis), and the Packard grasshopper (Melanoplus packardii).

Bird grasshoppers are among the largest short-horned grasshopper species in Oklahoma, recognized for their bright colors and strong, long-distance flight. Widespread across the state, they are commonly seen due to their habit of feeding on a wide variety of garden plants, shrubs, and trees. They can occasionally reach levels that cause damage to orchards and rangelands. Oklahoma is home to six species of bird grasshoppers, which are identifiable by distinct features described in available extension resources.

View U.S. Grasshopper Forecast Hazard Maps

Grasshopper management

Photo Farmers sacking grasshopper bait. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Monitoring is a crucial first step, with action thresholds often based on insect density per square yard or percent defoliation. Control measures may include targeted insecticide applications, particularly in early instar stages, as well as cultural practices like managed grazing and habitat manipulation. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service (OCES) plays a key role in grasshopper management by providing research-based guidance, monitoring support, and educational outreach to farmers and landowners. OCES promotes integrated pest management strategies, including habitat management, biological control, and the proper use of insecticides. The Extension also assists with population assessments and species identification, helping stakeholders make informed decisions during outbreaks. Additionally, OCES collaborates with agencies like USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture and Forestry to support coordinated regional suppression efforts.

Featured resource

• 
  Grasshoppers of the Choctaw Nation in Southeast Oklahoma

Select photos from Oklahoma

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Outbreaks

Crops in Oklahoma destroyed by grasshoppers

In 1936, grasshoppers devastated Oklahoma crops—destroying 59,000 bales of cotton, ruining drought-stressed corn, defoliating and killing trees, and wiping out the second alfalfa cutting. Many fields were so damaged they required replanting.

In 2015, large swarm of grasshoppers flew over northern Texas and southwest Oklahoma, appearing on radar like moderate rain. Weather radar data confirmed their presence. Rangers at Copper Breaks State Park in Texas verified the swarm, which reached up to 2,500 feet high.

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
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 Management in Rangeland, Pastures, and Crops		View	Biology, Survey, Management, Control	English	Tom A. Royer, Phillip G. Mulder
Grasshopper watch	2022		Grasshoppers	English
Grasshoppers Are Descending on the West in Swarms	2021		Grasshoppers	English
Grasshoppers of the Choctaw Nation in Southeast Oklahoma	2021	View	Management, Control, Rangeland management, Crop protection, Biological control, Chemical control, Survey, Outbreaks, Species identification	English	Alex J. Harman, W. Wyatt Hoback, Tom A. Royer
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
How to control grasshoppers in Oklahoma	1937	View	Control, Crop protection, Historical, Bait	English	Oklahoma State University, Fenton FA
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
Oklahoma’s Bird Grasshoppers	2020	View	Identification, Adults, Hatching, Nymph Development, Population Ecology, Daily Activity, Habitat	English	Tom A. Royer, Alex J. Harman, W. Wyatt Hoback
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
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 / Oklahoma

References

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