Bug ID request - Ask Extension
Hello,
I snapped the first photo of a grasshopper on my blue wood aster on June 12 2022. On August 3rd, I snapped the second photo. At first I thoug...
Knowledgebase
Bug ID request #811470
Asked September 19, 2022, 8:20 PM EDT
Hello,
I snapped the first photo of a grasshopper on my blue wood aster on June 12 2022. On August 3rd, I snapped the second photo. At first I thought they were different species but now I'm wondering: is the June 12 simply a baby grasshopper and the aug 3rd perhaps the grown up adult?
Thanks,
Carl
Baltimore City County Maryland
Expert Response
Hello Carl,
It's entirely possible, though we don't know if that particular species would have matured that fast or not. But yes, the first image does look like a juvenile and the second is an adult since it has fully-developed wings. (There are "pygmy" grasshoppers that mature quite small, but this doesn't look like one of those species.) Unfortunately we don't recognize the exact species on sight, so would need to peruse data like Maryland Biodiversity Project's grasshoppers species listing, which is nearly 60 species. Granted, some can be ruled-out relatively easily based on appearance, but you may have to sort through them to see which seem to match the closest.
Miri
It's entirely possible, though we don't know if that particular species would have matured that fast or not. But yes, the first image does look like a juvenile and the second is an adult since it has fully-developed wings. (There are "pygmy" grasshoppers that mature quite small, but this doesn't look like one of those species.) Unfortunately we don't recognize the exact species on sight, so would need to peruse data like Maryland Biodiversity Project's grasshoppers species listing, which is nearly 60 species. Granted, some can be ruled-out relatively easily based on appearance, but you may have to sort through them to see which seem to match the closest.
Miri
Thanks Miri!
