Texas

Texas
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Country:	United States

Rangeland portal / Texas

Texas, located in the south-central United States, is a large and ecologically diverse state that supports a wide variety of grasshopper species. Its mix of prairies, deserts, and rangelands provides ideal habitats for these insects, some of which can become serious agricultural pests. Grasshoppers are especially common in the drier western and central regions, where they can damage crops and forage during outbreak years.

State ecology

Texas is divided into several ecoregions, including the High Plains, Rolling Plains, Edwards Plateau, Blackland Prairies, and the South Texas Brush Country. These regions differ markedly in precipitation, soil type, vegetation, and land use. Grasshoppers are most abundant in the semi-arid rangelands of the western and central parts of the state, particularly in the High Plains and Edwards Plateau, where native grasses and shrubs provide optimal habitat. Grasshopper species richness in Texas is high due to the state’s size and environmental variability. Some species are native and ecologically benign, while others can become major pests during outbreaks, especially under drought conditions and following mild winters that increase overwintering survival.

In the bird-winged grasshopper (Schistocerca emarginata), geographic variation in juvenile host plant use is linked to genetic and color differences among populations in Texas. While adults are generalists, nymphs specialize on either southern dewberry (Rubus trivialis) or Ptelea trifoliata (known as common hoptree, wafer ash, stinking ash, and skunk bush), forming distinct genetic lineages. This host-based divergence may act as a barrier to gene flow and highlights how even generalist species can evolve local adaptations through life stage-specific resource use.

Species gallery

• Highlighted species for Texas
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  Say's grasshopper (Spharagemon equale)
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  Atlantic grasshopper (Paroxya atlantica)
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  Eastern lubber grasshopper (Romalea microptera)
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  Hayden's grasshopper (Derotmema haydenii)
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  Broad-tipped conehead katydid (Neoconocephalus triops)
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  Pallid-winged grasshopper (Trimerotropis pallidipennis)
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  Seaside grasshopper (Trimerotropis maritima)
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  Glassy-winged toothpick grasshopper (Stenacris vitreipennis)
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  Aztec spur-throated grasshopper (Aidemona azteca)
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  Texas field cricket (Gryllus texensis)
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  Pasture spur-throated grasshopper (Melanoplus confusus)
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  Striped grasshopper (Amphitornus coloradus)
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  Spring field cricket (Gryllus veletis)
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  Greater arid-land katydid (Neobarrettia spinosa)
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  Olive-green swamp grasshopper (Paroxya clavuliger)
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  Texas slant-faced grasshopper (Mermiria texana)

Species of management concern

Grasshoppers are some of the most common and destructive pests in Texas. While around 150 species are found across the state, only some pose damage to rangelands, gardens, trees, shrubs, and crops such as alfalfa, cotton, and wheat.

Several pest grasshopper species are commonly found in Texas, including the migratory grasshopper (Melanoplus sanguinipes), the two-striped grasshopper (Melanoplus bivittatus), the red-legged grasshopper (Melanoplus femurrubrum), the packard grasshopper (Melanoplus packardii), the white-whiskered grasshopper (Ageneotettix deorum), and the big-headed grasshopper (Aulocara elliotti).

Other recognizable species include the lubber grasshopper (Brachystola magna), the Carolina grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina), the high plains grasshopper (Dissosteira longipennis), the eastern lubber grasshopper (Romalea guttata), and the American grasshopper (Schistocerca americana).

View U.S. Grasshopper Forecast Hazard Maps

Grasshopper management

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) works in collaboration with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and local landowners to monitor grasshopper populations and implement control measures.

Grasshopper action thresholds vary depending on the type of crop at risk. Grass and row crops can usually tolerate higher grasshopper populations and more damage than vegetable or ornamental crops. Thresholds may be based on insect density (e.g., number per square yard) or the level of plant defoliation. However, many crops lack defined thresholds, so decisions often rely on a subjective assessment of potential economic loss. Thresholds should also be adjusted according to the crop’s growth stage and vulnerability—for instance, young cotton plants are much more susceptible to damage than mature ones. For specific recommendations, consult extension resources.

Featured resource

• 
  Grasshoppers and their control

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Outbreaks

Grasshopper populations can grow rapidly under hot, dry conditions, which boost survival and reproduction. Warm, dry weather extends feeding and egg-laying periods, while each female can lay up to 400 eggs. Even small increases in survival rates can lead to large population spikes, making favorable weather a key driver of outbreaks.

The economic damage caused by grasshoppers in Texas can be significant. For instance, during major outbreak years (e.g., the early 2000s), 190 million dollars in forage losses were reported across the state.

There are accounts of grasshopper outbreaks in Texas in 1867.

A grasshopper outbreak was reported in northern and northwestern Texas in 1876.

”Swarms of grasshoppers” in Panola County, Texas in 1884.

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
Eastern lubber grasshopper	2025		Behavior, Taxonomy, Species identification, Nymphs	English	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
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 and their control		View	Species identification, Management, Monitoring, Biological control, Mechanical control, Cultural control, Biology	English	Texas A&M University, Carl D. Patrick
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
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 / Texas