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Velvet-striped Grasshopper

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description Velvet-striped Grasshopper Overview

The velvet-striped grasshopper, Eritettix simplex, is a species of slant-faced grasshopper in the family Acrididae and subfamily Gomphocerinae. It occurs in North America and is associated with grassland habitats, including pastures, rangeland, wet meadows, and other grassy areas. It feeds primarily on grasses and sedges and is studied as part of the continent's grasshopper fauna rather than as a domesticated or commercial insect.

help Velvet-striped Grasshopper FAQ

How do you identify a velvet-striped grasshopper?

The species is Eritettix simplex, a slant-faced grasshopper in the family Acrididae. Adults are usually about 14 to 21 millimeters long for males and 19 to 26 millimeters for females. [BugGuide](https://bugguide.net/node/view/170441)

Where does the velvet-striped grasshopper live?

Its recorded range extends from Alberta to Arizona and east toward the Atlantic, with records in northern Mexico. It favors open sunny grasslands, including tallgrass prairie, shortgrass areas, wet swales and drainages.

What does Eritettix simplex eat?

It feeds mainly on grasses and sedges, with blue grama listed as a preferred food plant in western populations. It is therefore more closely tied to grassland vegetation than to garden flowers.

When are velvet-striped grasshoppers active?

The species commonly overwinters as a third- to fifth-instar nymph, with adults maturing in late winter or early spring. Adults are often sparse by summer, and females have been reported laying egg pods containing about 18 eggs. [Wyoming fact sheet](https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/grasshopper/nonkey/html/FactSheets/velvetst.htm)

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