Migratory Grasshopper

June Beetle,The North American migratory grasshopper Melanoplus sanguinipes Fabricius (Orthoptera: Acrididae) is an important pest species in the eastern region of the united states NY, NJ, Connecticut.

Migratory Grasshopper displays no consistent morphological differences between fliers and non-fliers , some individuals will make long, undistracted, tethered flights, and there is a close correspondence between duration of tethered flight in the laboratory and migratory behavior in the field.

As with several other insect migrants, individual M.sanguinipes tend to fly for only a few moments or for several hours at a time. Those that perform at least 60 min of tethered flight in a single flight test are classified as migrants . Three 60-min flight tests on succeeding days can reliably distinguish all migrants from non-migrants in a population. It may be useful to point out that the flight.

Life Cycle:Migratory Grasshopper eggs are laid beneath the soil surface in pod-like structures that the female deposits from her abdomen. Each egg pod consists of 20 to 120 elongated eggs securely cemented together; the whole mass is somewhat eggshaped and covered with soil. A female grasshopper produces from eight to 25 egg masses. The species of grasshoppers that cause major crop loss overwinter in the egg stage, although a few other noneconomic species overwinter as nymphs. In the Northern Plains, grasshopper egg hatch normally begins in late April to early May. The peak hatch occurs about mid June and the hatch is usually nearing completion by late June. Cool and extremely dry springs may delay the hatch, allowing it to continue into July.

Migratory Grasshopper youngs are referred to as nymphs. They are similar to adults in general appearance but are smaller and have wing pads instead of wings. There are usually five or six nymphal stages and the length of time from egg to adult is 40 to 60 days. Knowledge of grasshopper instar identification is useful because it gives a rough indication of how far the hatch has progressed.Normally, once fourth and fifth instar grasshoppers are present, the hatch is winding down.

recognition of fifth instar hoppers indicates that the winged adult stage is soon to follow. Winged adults are much more mobile than the nymphal stages. Wingpads of first to third instar hoppers are borne saddle-like over the thorax. Wingpads of fourth and fifth instar hoppers are pointed backward over the abdomen and differ only in size. In the fourth instar they are relatively small and extend only to the first abdominal segment, while in the fifth instar they are large and extend past the second abdominal segment.

Damage: Parasites of grasshoppers include insects, nematodes, or mites which live in or on grasshoppers or their eggs for an extended period of time. They either consume or weaken grasshoppers, resulting in death or weakened populations. Some insects, such as wasp-like members of the family Scelionidae, parasitize the egg stage. Other insects attack the nymphal and adult stages of grasshoppers. These include flesh flies, tachinid flies, and tangle-veined flies. The adults of these flies lay eggs on, in, or near grasshoppers. When these eggs hatch, the resulting larvae feed on the grasshoppers. Nematodes, also called threadworms or hairworms, feed coiled up inside grasshoppers. This parasite often causes death, sterility, or reduced vigor of the insect. Small red mites are often seen as external parasites of grasshoppers but are generally not effective in reducing populations.

Predators of grasshoppers include arthropods, birds, and mammals. Egg predators include crickets, ground beetles, and the larvaeof blister beetles and bee flies. Spiders, wasps, robber flies, rodents, and birds eat nymphal and adult grasshoppers. In the1920s and 1930s, flocks of turkeys and chickens were often recommended for grasshopper control. The effectiveness of this technique is questionable and reportedly led to other problems. The fowl often became “crop-bound” and required special treatment to eliminate grasshopper wings and other indigestible parts. Claims were also made that a diet of grasshoppers tainted the birds’ flesh.

Control: Fields that are to be cropped and have a high potential for grasshopper damage should be seeded as early as agronomically and environmentally possible. Established, vigorously growing plants can tolerate more injury than younger plants. This may not be an effective option with late season crops such as soybeans, dry beans, corn, sunflower and safflower, because an early seeding date for these crops may mean they would still be small when the grasshopper hatch is beginning.Early seeding of early crops like small grains and canola may not prevent crop injury, but it will reduce the amount of economic damage and allow the producer a longer lead time for insecticide application.

In addition, early seeded crops will mature earlier and the risk of late season migration of adult grasshoppers into these fields should be lessened, thus reducing late season crop damage and egg laying. Fewer acres will have to be treated and less insecticide is necessary to obtain control, thus reducing cost.Grasshoppers are killed before they have had the opportunity to cause significant crop loss.Smaller grasshoppers are more susceptible to pesticides than larger hoppers.Early treatment before grasshoppers reach maturity prevents egg deposition, which may help reduce the potential grasshopper threat for the following crop year.

If you have any questions about pest control check out the rest of our website or go to our blog at http://nypestpro.blogspot.com.

Beyond Pest Control.

Our pest control specialists service all NYC boroughs, including Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Long Island (both Nassau & Suffolk counties), Staten Island and even both Westchester & Rockland counties.