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Red-legged Grasshopper
(John Obermeyer, Purdue University)

Common Name: Red-legged Grasshopper

Order: Orthoptera

Family: Acrididae

Pest Status: Red-legged grasshoppers are plant feeders and can cause damage, usually during dry years.

Appearance: The red-legged grasshopper has a reddish-brown back, a yellow belly, and bright red hind legs. It can range in length from 3/4 to 1 1/2-inches.

Life Cycle: This grasshopper overwinters as eggs in the soil. Eggs hatch throughout the spring and early summer. Nymphs feed and grow for about a month, molting five or six times. Mature grasshoppers mate and continue feeding on crop plants. About two weeks later, the females begin to deposit clusters of eggs in the soil.

Where to Collect: This grasshopper prefers areas of low, moist soil.