Carolina Grasshopper

In flight, Dissosteira carolina reveals striking black hindwings edged with a pale yellow or whitish border, which contrast dramatically with its otherwise mottled brown and gray body. The wings produce a faint crackling or clicking sound during flight displays, making the insect noticeable even before you see it clearly.

Dissosteira carolina is widespread across North America and thrives in open, disturbed habitats with bare ground, including dirt roads, gravel pits, pastures, and sandy clearings. Their cryptic coloration makes them nearly invisible when at rest on bare soil, and they are usually noticed only when they flush into flight as you walk by.

No, the Carolina grasshopper is not a locust and does not exhibit the swarming, gregarious phase change that defines true locust species like the migratory locust (Locusta migratoria). Although it is sometimes called the 'Carolina locust' colloquially, it is a solitary grasshopper that does not form devastating plagues.

While Dissosteira carolina can feed on grasses and some forbs, it is generally not considered a significant agricultural pest on the scale of species like the differential grasshopper or the two-striped grasshopper. In outbreak years with favorable weather, populations can increase locally and cause noticeable defoliation in pastures and field edges.