Utah
| Utah | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Utah is within: | |
| Country: | United States of America |
Utah is located in the western United States. It is known for diverse landscapes, including mountains, deserts, plateaus, and salt flats. Utah is home to the mormon cricket and three primary types of grasshoppers: slant-faced, band-winged, and spur-throated grasshoppers, some of which cause periodic and serious damage to rangeland and crops.[1]
State ecology
Utah's topography varies from low desert basins to high mountain valleys, creating diverse ecosystems, each with its own unique plant and animal communities. Much of the state consists of rangelands, shrublands, and grasslands, which offer the open, dry environments that many grasshopper species prefer. These habitats supply the warm soil temperatures and plentiful grasses and forbs that support grasshopper growth, particularly during spring and summer. Climate plays a major role in population fluctuations—warm, dry springs tend to favor grasshopper survival, while drought can reduce the presence and effectiveness of natural predators and pathogens.
Highlighted species from Utah
| Species | Official common name | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Aeoloplides turnbulli | Turnbull’s grasshopper | 
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| Aeropedellus clavatus | Club-horned grasshopper | 
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| Ageneotettix deorum | White-whiskered grasshopper | 
|
| Amphitornus coloradus | Striped grasshopper | .jpg)
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| Arphia conspersa | Speckled rangeland grasshopper | 
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| Arphia pseudo-nietana | Red-winged grasshopper | 
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| Aulocara elliotti | Big-headed grasshopper | 
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| Aulocara femoratum | White cross grasshopper | |
| Camnula pellucida | Clear-winged grasshopper | 
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| Chortophaga viridifasciata | Northern green-striped grasshopper | 
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| Cordillacris crenulata | Crenulated winged grasshopper | .jpg)
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| Cordillacris crenulata | Crenulated winged grasshopper |
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| Cordillacris occipitalis | Western spotted-winged grasshopper | .jpg)
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| Derotmema haydenii | Hayden's grasshopper | 
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| Dissosteira carolina | Carolina grasshopper | 
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| Encoptolophus costalis | Dusky grasshopper | |
| Eritettix simplex | Velvet-striped grasshopper | |
| Hesperotettix viridis | Meadow purple-striped grasshopper | 
|
| Melanoplus alpinus | Alpine grasshopper | |
| Melanoplus angustipennis | Narrow-winged sand grasshopper | 
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| Melanoplus bivittatus | Two-striped grasshopper | 
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| Melanoplus bowditchi | Sagebrush grasshopper | |
| Melanoplus bruneri | Bruner spur-throated grasshopper | 
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| Melanoplus confusus | Pasture grasshopper | |
| Melanoplus dawsoni | Dawson's spur-throat grasshopper | |
| Melanoplus differentialis | Differential grasshopper | 
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| Melanoplus differentialis | Differential grasshopper |
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| Melanoplus femurrubrum | Red-legged grasshopper | _(43478105211).jpg)
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| Melanoplus foedus | Striped sand grasshopper | 
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| Melanoplus gladstoni | Gladston grasshopper | |
| Melanoplus infantilis | Little spur-throated grasshopper | _in_profile_Mathew_L._Brust.png)
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| Melanoplus keeleri | Keeler grasshopper | 
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| Melanoplus lakinus | Lakin grasshopper | |
| Melanoplus occidentalis | Occidental grasshopper | |
| Melanoplus packardii | Packard grasshopper | 
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| Melanoplus rugglesi | Nevada sage grasshopper | |
| Melanoplus sanguinipes | Migratory grasshopper | 
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| Mermiria bivittata | Two-striped mermiria grasshopper | 
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| Metator pardalinus | Blue-legged grasshopper | 
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| Oedaleonotus enigma | Valley grasshopper | 
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| Phlibostroma quadrimaculatum | Four-spotted grasshopper | File:File:Fld-Phqu2N01-03.jpg |
| Phoetaliotes nebrascensis | Large-headed grasshopper | .jpg)
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| Pseudochorthippus curtipennis | Marsh meadow grasshopper | .jpg)
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| Psoloessa delicatula | Brown-spotted range grasshopper | |
| Spharagemon collare | Mottled sand grasshopper | |
| Spharagemon equale | Say's grasshopper | 
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| Trachyrhachys kiowa | Kiowa grasshopper | 
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| Trimerotropis pallidipennis | Pallid-winged grasshopper | 
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| Xanthippus corallipes | Red-shanked grasshopper | 
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Species of management concern
Important agricultural pest species include the red-legged grasshopper (Melanoplus femurrubrum), the differential grasshopper (Melanoplus differentialis), the two-striped grasshopper (Melanoplus bivittatus), the migratory grasshopper (Melanoplus sanguinipes), and the Mormon cricket (Anabrus simplex). [2]
Grasshopper management
Grasshopper populations are mainly driven by weather. Warm, dry springs speed up hatching and growth, while warm summers support egg laying. Overwintering eggs are generally resistant to freezing, especially with a good snow cover. A year with a combination of these factors can lead to outbreaks. Cold, wet conditions can hinder grasshopper activity due to their ectothermic nature, while also impacting the predators and parasites that naturally control their numbers. Additionally, cooler, damp environments encourage the spread of fungal infections and other pathogens, which can lead to sharp declines in grasshopper populations. [2]
Spring is a recommended time for communities to control grasshoppers, as they are still nymphs and easier to manage. [1] Ranchers are advised to watch for grasshopper "hot spots," where early egg-laying and outbreaks begin. Delayed action often leads to larger infestations that are harder and more expensive to manage. [2] Treating large areas is key, since adult grasshoppers can travel far and may not stay in one place long enough for insecticides to work. Paranosema locustae (synonyms: Antonospora locustae, Nosema locustae) (sold as Nolo Bait in Utah) is a biological control that infects grasshoppers when ingested, killing up to 70% and weakening many survivors. Utah has over 500 registered grasshopper control products. Some county weed offices provide sprayers for free, though insecticide must be purchased separately. [1]
The United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) oversees control efforts targeting grasshoppers on public lands. When grasshopper populations become large, landowners can collaborate to obtain state and federal assistance through a cooperative rangeland grasshopper management program. [1] Grasshopper control products come as sprays, dusts, or baits. Though costlier, dusts and baits can be applied without advanced equipment. Dusts need frequent reapplication, while baits work best when vegetation is sparse. Carbaryl bait is effective in non-crop areas, targeting only insects that eat it. Baits are especially useful against nymphs foraging on the ground. Malathion and carbaryl are considered low in toxicity to humans and are often sprayed along roadsides and fence rows. Other approved grasshopper control products in Utah include acephate, beta-cyfluthrin, bifenthrin, chlorpyrifos, dimethoate, and lambda-cyhalothrin. Sprays are most effective when targeting nymphs rather than adults. [2]
Select photos from Utah
No images found for this query—should be coming soon!
Outbreaks
Grasshopper and Mormon cricket outbreaks in Utah occur periodically, influenced by environmental conditions. Larger outbreaks tend to happen every decade or so, while local populations can fluctuate more frequently based on factors like drought and temperature. There is much literature about the Mormon cricket in Utah. The cricket, which is actually a species of shield-backed katydid, got its name from a historical event involving early Mormon settlers in Utah in the mid-1800s. The insect became infamous when massive swarms descended on the crops of Mormon pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley around 1848, threatening their food supply. According to pioneer accounts, the settlers prayed for relief, and soon after, large flocks of seagulls arrived and began eating the crickets. This event became known as the "Miracle of the Gulls," and the insect came to be called the Mormon cricket in reference to the settlers it plagued. The name stuck due to the dramatic and memorable nature of the incident. [5] An excerpt from a pioneer part of the early Mormon migration to the Salt Lake Valley in 1847:
“We have grappled with the frost. . . but today to our utter astonishment, the crickets came by millions, sweeping everything before them. They first attacked a patch of beans for us and in twenty minutes there was not a vestige of them to be seen. They next swept over peas, then came into our garden; took everything clean. We went out with brush and undertook to drive them, but they were too strong for us.” [5]
For more information and accounts of early Mormon cricket outbreaks in Utah see Crickets and grasshoppers in Utah by W.W. Henderson. [6]
Organizations
| Organization name | Acronym | Website | Type | Focus | Focus keywords |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Utah Department of Agriculture and Food | UDAF | https://ag.utah.gov/ | Government | Management, Development, Governance, Monitoring, Research | Agricultural development, Agriculture, Crop health, Control, Coordination, Food security, Governance, Management, Public health |
| Utah State University Extension | https://extension.usu.edu | University | Education, Research, Monitoring, Management | Extension |
Resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Utah State University Extension. (n.d.). Grasshoppers. Retrieved April 11, 2025, from https://extension.usu.edu/planthealth/ipm/notes_ag/veg-grasshoppers
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Hodgson EW, Evans EW (2008) Grasshoppers. Utah State University Extension and Utah Plant Pest Diagnostic Laboratory. https://hopperwiki.org/images/0/0f/Utah_pests_fact_sheet.pdf
- ↑ Hartley W (1970) Mormons, crickets, and gulls: A new look at an old story. Utah Historical Quarterly 38(3). https://issuu.com/utah10/docs/uhq_volume38_1970_number3/s/107089
- ↑ Rocky Mountain Gazette (1867) Grasshoppers in Utah. Council Bluffs Bugle, 4 July 1867, p. 3, col. 3. Brigham Young University - Harold B. Lee Library. https://utah-primoprod.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=digcoll_byu_1219CMNI/7412&context=L&vid=MWDL
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cowan RG (1948) The Miracle of the Gulls. Utah Historical Quarterly 16(2): 129–144. https://issuu.com/utah10/docs/uhq_volume38_1970_number3/s/107089.
- ↑ Henderson WW (1931) Crickets and grasshoppers in Utah. Utah Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 96: 1–38. https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uiug.30112019890026