The Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, Romalea microptera, is a large and distinctive insect found throughout the southeastern United States. These grasshoppers are recognized by their substantial size, up to 3 inches in length, and vibrant coloration, typically yellow, orange, or black. They inhabit various environments, including swamps, open woodlands, and weedy fields, particularly in Florida and along the Gulf Coast. Their feeding habits provide insight into their impact on local ecosystems and gardens.
Primary Dietary Preferences
Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers are generalist feeders, consuming foliage from a wide array of plants, with their host range covering at least 100 species across 38 plant families. They show clear preferences for certain broadleaf plants over grasses. Gardeners often observe them defoliating ornamental plants such as amaryllis, crinum lily, canna, and daylilies, which are among their favored food sources. They can sometimes completely strip foliage from these plants.
They also consume various vegetable crops, including peas, lettuce, kale, beans, and cabbage, often causing significant damage and reducing yields. Beyond cultivated plants, lubbers feed on native weeds like Florida beggarticks and Florida pusley. They are largely slow-moving and often seen walking as they search for food. Nymphs are gregarious, feeding in groups and collectively consuming large amounts of plant material.
Plants They Avoid or That Are Toxic
Not all plants are suitable for Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers, as they exhibit dietary selectivity, avoiding vegetation with certain secondary compounds or toxins. Many plant species are less preferred and eaten only when favored hosts are unavailable. Vegetable plants like eggplant, tomato, pepper, celery, okra, and sweet corn are less commonly eaten. Sweet corn is resistant to their feeding, though they may consume silk from young ears.
Some plants contain natural defenses that make them unpalatable or even poisonous. Lubbers tend to avoid plants with strong chemical deterrents. This avoidance helps them survive by preventing the ingestion of harmful substances. Their ability to discern and reject such plants is a key part of their feeding strategy.
How Diet Impacts Lubber Characteristics
The diet of the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper influences its defense mechanisms. They consume plants with toxic compounds, sequestering these chemicals within their bodies. For example, they eat oleander, incorporating its poisonous alkaloids into their defense system. This process allows them to become toxic to many potential predators, especially vertebrates.
Their vibrant coloration (yellows, oranges, blacks) serves as a warning signal to predators, indicating their toxicity, a phenomenon known as aposematic coloration. When threatened, lubbers can secrete a foul-smelling, toxic froth from their spiracles or regurgitate a dark brown liquid, deterring attackers. The variety of toxins they assimilate from their diet makes it difficult for predators to adapt, enhancing their survival against animals like birds and lizards that learn to avoid them.