Lubber grasshoppers are large, distinctive insects commonly found in the southeastern United States. These creatures are well-known for their size and often striking coloration, making them easily noticeable in their habitats. This type of grasshopper is a familiar sight across the southeastern U.S., where its substantial size and vibrant appearance contribute to its recognition.
Physical Characteristics
Adult lubber grasshoppers are among the largest grasshoppers in the United States. Males typically measure 43 to 55 millimeters (1.7 to 2.2 inches), and females reach 50 to 70 millimeters (2.0 to 2.8 inches), sometimes even up to 90 millimeters (3.5 inches). Their robust bodies are covered by a thick chitinous exoskeleton. Coloration varies, often yellow or tawny with black markings on their antennae, pronotum, and abdominal segments. Some are predominantly black with yellow or reddish accents, while others exhibit mustard yellow with black markings, sometimes with a reddish stripe.
These grasshoppers possess wings, though they are not used for flight. The forewings extend about two-thirds to three-fourths the abdomen’s length, tending to be pink or rose centrally, while the hind wings are entirely rose-colored. These short, decorative wings are non-functional for aerial locomotion, meaning the lubber grasshopper moves primarily by walking, despite its sizable hind legs.
Natural Habitat and Food Sources
The eastern lubber grasshopper is found across the southeastern United States, extending from North Carolina south through Florida and west into central Texas, Tennessee, and Missouri. These insects inhabit various environments, including open pinewoods, weedy fields, roadside vegetation, and gardens. They are also found in damp areas such as irrigation ditches, wet pastures, and pond edges.
Lubber grasshoppers are generalist herbivores, feeding on a wide range of plants. Their diet includes at least 100 species from 38 plant families, encompassing shrubs, herbs, broadleaf weeds, and grasses. While they consume many plants, their mouthparts are adapted for broad-leaf plants rather than grasses. They prefer certain plants like pokeweed, sedge, and ornamentals such as amaryllis, crinum, and oleander. Less preferred plants, though still consumed if favorites are unavailable, include eggplant, tomato, and sweet corn.
Distinctive Traits and Protection
Lubber grasshoppers are characterized by their slow, clumsy movement, a trait reflected in their common name, which derives from an old English word meaning lazy or clumsy. This slow pace contrasts with their effective defense mechanisms. Their bright coloration, often yellow, orange, red, and black, serves as a clear warning to potential predators that they are unpalatable or toxic. This warning coloration is known as aposematism.
When threatened, these grasshoppers employ defensive behaviors. They may spread their wings, emit a hissing sound, and secrete a foul-smelling, frothy substance from specialized glands in their thorax. This toxic foam can be expelled up to 15 centimeters (6 inches) away. The chemical composition of this defense includes phenols and quinones, partly synthesized by the grasshopper and partly sequestered from consumed plants. These chemicals, along with the ability to regurgitate noxious gut contents, deter most vertebrate predators, making them a risky meal.
Environmental Significance
Lubber grasshoppers play a role in their ecosystems as herbivores. Their feeding habits can lead to noticeable defoliation, particularly in agricultural settings or home gardens where they are sometimes considered pests. They can cause significant damage to citrus, vegetable crops, and ornamental plants, especially when populations are large. However, they consume less food than smaller grasshopper species.
Despite their toxicity, lubber grasshoppers are part of the food web. While many vertebrate predators, such as most birds and lizards, learn to avoid them due to their chemical defenses, some specialized predators like the loggerhead shrike have developed methods to consume them. These shrikes may impale lubbers on thorns and wait for toxins to degrade before eating them. Although damaging to cultivated plants, in natural environments, their feeding can sometimes stimulate plant growth, contributing to nutrient cycling and the overall balance of biodiversity.