Geographic distribution - Colorado to Idaho and Montana (Heifer, 1972). In Colorado it is found from the mountain foothills to above timberline (Hebard, 1929).
Habitat - found at various altitudes in stands of mixed herbaceous vegetation throughout the Rocky Mountains (Alexander and Hilliard, 1969; Heifer, 1972).
Food habits - a mixed feeder preferring forbes, especially those of the genus Mianthemum (Alexander and Hilliard, 1969; Criddle, 1933a).
Adult - medium size. General color is brown and black, yellowish
below. Face is nearly vertical to slanting. Dark band extends from eyes
across lateral lobes of pronotum. Tegmina are short, approximately length
of head and pronotum. A light band is present dorsally on each tegmen.
Dorsal posterior margin of pronotum is rounded. Hind femora have two dark
bands. Hind tibiae are reddish. Male cerci gradually taper to a rounded
point with a slight constriction and are about four times as long as width
at constriction. Male length, 20 mm; female, 25 mm.
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| Cercus | Furculae | Subgenital plate (Top view) |
Seasonal history - hatching occurs in early May as low as 6,700 ft. but from mid-June to mid-July at 12,000 ft. Adults are present from the end of May to October at lower elevations and from July to September at high elevations (Alexander and Hilliard, 1969).
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Biology of Common Colorado Grasshoppers
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