GRASSHOPPER
There are over 200 species of grasshoppers in California, but only a few cause significant problems. Grasshoppers are obviously known for their ability to jump using powerful hind legs, and they are good fliers. They also can make noise from auditory organs on the sides of the abdomen. Grasshoppers are long and slender, with the length from head to end of wings being from 1 1/4th inch to over 3 inches long in the many varieties. They are easily distinguished from katydids and crickets by their short antennae. The Pallid Band-Wing Grasshopper has prominent banded wings, a common feature of many grasshoppers. Some have wings that are brightly colored; some wings provide camouflage when the grasshopper is at rest. Bodies are usually grayish, brown, or green in color.

Infestations of grasshoppers can cause severe problems to crops and ornamentals, as they are related to locusts. Grasshoppers have chewing mouthparts and will destroy both leaves and flowers, sometimes devouring the entire plant. They prefer young, green plants, and especially go after lettuce, beans, corn, carrots, onions, and some annual flowers. The Devastating Grasshopper and the Valley Grasshopper can defoliate large areas--both tend to develop large populations after a warm, wet spring. Outbreaks are also cyclical, with peaks every 8-10 years. Adults can fly 15 or more miles in a day during migrations.

Life Cycle
Female grasshoppers deposit eggs in soil of undisturbed areas such as grassy foothills, roadsides, pasture areas, and cultivated fields in the late summer and fall. Eggs are laid in the upper 2 inches of the soil in egg pods containing between 20 and 100 eggs. As the soil gets warm in the spring, eggs hatch and the nymphs begin to feed on nearby plants. Nymphs typically move toward green vegetation as food supplies disappear. Nymphs will molt five to six times before becoming adults, and usually have only one generation per year. Adult grasshoppers can live up to 2-3 months; they eventually die when food becomes scarce or the weather becomes too cold.