An incredible amount of grasshopper species live in Kansas!

Trying to list them all would be impossible. 🙂

So below, you will find the most common and abundant insects found in the order Orthoptera. This includes not only grasshoppers but also crickets and katydids.

12 Grasshoppers in Kansas:

#1. Two-striped Grasshopper

Melanoplus bivittatus

Adults are typically 1.2 to 2 inches (3 to 5 cm) long.
They are usually green or tan, with two pale yellow stripes running along the top of their bodies from above their eyes to the hind tips of their wings.
They have green or buff hind tibia with black spines.

These grasshoppers are well adapted to various habitats in Kansas!

They can call so many areas home because of their diet. Two-striped Grasshoppers aren’t picky and will feed on grasses, herbaceous or woody plants, seed pods, flowers, and crops.

When food is scarce, Two-striped Grasshoppers scavenge on dead plants and animals. They also occasionally resort to cannibalism!

These grasshoppers can be a lot of fun to find and catch. However, many insect lovers have found out the hard way that Two-striped Grasshoppers are quick to bite when handled. 🙂

#2. Green-striped Grasshopper

Chortophaga viridifasciata

Adults are bright, grassy green with some pinkish brown on the legs and head.
They range in length from 1-1.5 in (23-38 mm)
Their wings are long and slender and usually a dull brown color.

Look for Green-striped Grasshoppers in moist areas of Kansas.

These insects are easiest to find in early summer when the adult females lay eggs. As the summer progresses, the grasshoppers move through the five stages of their life cycle. Because Green-striped Grasshoppers survive over winter and emerge as adults, they’re usually the first to appear in backyards!

You’re almost guaranteed to find these critters if you have a large yard or garden. They love to eat grass and other succulent plants, including many garden favorites!

#3. Carolina Grasshopper

Dissosteira carolina

Adults grow from 1.2-2.3 in (32–58 mm) in length.
Their coloring is a light brown to tan or gray, which allows them to hide in their environment.
They have large wings that flap dramatically in flight, and people often confuse them with butterflies.

Carolina Grasshoppers are found all over Kansas.

Their range includes many climates, and their diet varies depending on their habitat. For example, in pastureland or open fields, they primarily eat grasses. However, these grasshoppers will consume weeds and other less desirable plants in less fertile areas.

These grasshoppers are diurnal, meaning they are primarily active during the day and rest at night. However, don’t be surprised to find one near a light source in the late evening. They’re very attracted to lights! They live mostly on the ground and rarely climb or fly into trees.

#4. Obscure Bird Grasshopper

Schistocerca obscura

Adults are 1.4-2.5 in (36-65 mm) long.
They are grass-green to yellow-green with a bright yellow stripe on the back.
The wings are long, slender, and brownish-green in color.

Look for Obscure Bird Grasshoppers in fields and open forests in Kansas.

This insect is active from August to October, so look for them as summer turns to fall and the weather turns cool. Although usually smaller in size, this grasshopper shares many similarities with the American Bird Grasshopper, which is a close relative. They spend their time on the ground, eating grasses and young shoots on other plants.

#5. American Bird Grasshopper

Schistocerca americana

Adults are 1.8-2.2 in (4.5-5.5 cm) long.
They are light brown or tan with a mottled pattern of black spots. Some individuals look like they have a cheetah print!
Their long and slender wings and legs give them a delicate appearance.

American Bird Grasshoppers are native to Kansas.

However, that doesn’t mean they aren’t sometimes considered pests. They can damage crops extensively if they have a particularly large population boom. In particular, American Bird Grasshoppers are known to cause severe damage to citrus groves in Florida.

You may also know this insect as a locust, although technically, locusts are a different family of grasshoppers. Due to their occasional population booms and tendency to swarm, American Bird Grasshoppers have earned the title among farmers and backyard gardeners.

#6. Differential Grasshopper

Melanoplus differentialis

Adults are usually shiny and yellow-brown.
They have brownish-yellow or brownish-red antennae and brown eyes with light spots.
Their upper hind legs are yellow with a black herringbone pattern, and their lower hind legs are yellow with black spines.

You may remember Differential Grasshoppers from hot summer days spent playing outside. They are one of the classic summer grasshoppers.

The best places to find these grasshoppers in Kansas are grasslands, but they will also inhabit vacant lots, open woodlands, roadsides, and croplands.

Their broad appetite helps them adapt to different areas. These grasshoppers feed on grasses, fruit trees, and crops.

If you’ve ever tried to catch one, you’ve probably noticed that Differential Grasshoppers are talented fliers. They can travel 10 to 100 yards in a single flight!

#7. Red-legged Grasshopper

Melanoplus femurrubrum

Adults typically range from 0.67 to 1.2 inches (1.7 to 3 cm) long.
Their color varies from reddish-brown to yellow, dark brown, green, or olive green. Their bright red or yellowish hindlegs feature a black herringbone pattern.
Their wings typically extend beyond the tip of their abdomen.

You may have spotted these grasshoppers in Kansas flying away as you walk through open habitats like yards, croplands, open floodplains, vacant lots, meadows, and prairies. When startled, they can fly distances of 40 feet (12.2 m)!

These grasshoppers have to be quick to stay alive. They’re an important food source for wildlife like turkeys and quail.

Red-legged Grasshoppers feed on various grasses and other plants, including goldenrod, dandelion, clover, and vetch. But interestingly, when food is scarce, Red-legged Grasshoppers develop longer wings, allowing them to fly to new areas searching for food.

#8. Fork-tailed Bush Katydid

Scudderia furcata

Adults usually range from 1.5 to 1.75 inches (3.8 to 4.4 cm) long.
They are leafy-green with long green antennae but may have pinkish, brownish, or rusty tinges, especially in autumn.
Females have a brownish or purplish ovipositor, a sword-like appendage at the tip of their abdomen.

These katydids make one of the classic sounds of the night in Kansas.

Fork-tailed Bush Katydids are one of about 250 species of katydids or “bush crickets” found in North America. Unlike true grasshoppers, they spend most of their time in trees and shrubs and rarely descend to the ground.

These bright green insects are nocturnal. They spend their nights feeding on the flowers, foliage, and fruit of the trees and shrubs they call home. Don’t worry, gardeners; they rarely cause significant damage.

Katydids can be incredibly hard to spot because they blend perfectly with the leaves. If you get lucky, you may spot one on a tree trunk or around an outdoor light at night.

If you find a katydid, you should handle them with care. While not aggressive, they can give a good pinch if handled roughly.

#9. Fall Field Cricket

Gryllus pennsylvanicus

Adults are 0.6–1.0 in (15–25 mm) long.
Their coloring is dark brown to black, sometimes with a reddish tint.
They have very long antennae and short wings.

This species is one of the most widespread crickets in Kansas.

Fall Field Crickets are relatively large and easy to spot because of their dark color. As their name suggests, they live in open fields and yards with plenty of grass, their preferred food source. They also eat small invertebrates and insect eggs.

If you’ve heard these crickets chirping on a late summer evening, you know their call can be extremely loud! The males perform their call to attract females so that they can reproduce.

#10. Slender Meadow Katydid

Conocephalus fasciatus

Adults are 0.7-1 in (18–26 mm) long.
Their coloring is a combination of brown and green.
These insects have a slender body and long wings.

You can find Slender Meadow Katydids in various habitats in Kansas.

These insects prefer grassy or weedy land in pastures, open woods, and backyards. Unlike many of their relatives, this species has a soft call. It sounds like a series of clicks and buzzing, and each call lasts 1-20 seconds.

Slender Meadow Katydids eat grass and grass seeds, so anywhere with overgrown grasses is a good place to start searching for these bugs.

#11. Short-winged Green Grasshopper

Dichromorpha viridis

Adults are 0.5-1 in (14-30 mm) long.
They are green above with brown or tan heads and undersides, although some individuals are brown all over.
These grasshoppers have the typical shape you may think of, with a slender body, very long hind legs, and an angular face.

These grasshoppers are active during summer and fall in Kansas.

Short-winged green grasshoppers prefer areas with short grass, so you’ll likely see them in your backyard! They eat new grass shoots and seed heads.

If you find an all-brown specimen, it’s likely a female. This is especially true if it’s larger than average, as females are usually much bigger than males.

#12. Greater Anglewing

Microcentrum rhombifolium

Adults are 2.0–2.6 in (50–65 mm) long.
They are bright green to yellowish.
Their broad and leaf-like wings come to a sharp peak above their bodies.

You can find Greater Anglewings among shrubs and trees in Kansas, but picking them out can be difficult! These katydids are masters of camouflage, with wings that mimic leaves and coloring that helps them blend right in.

Adults are active in late summer through fall. Listen for their call, which is a series of clicks in an even pattern, repeated 10-20 times in a row.

Did you like learning about the grasshoppers that live in Kansas?

Check out these ID guides that focus specifically on different insects and arachnids in Kansas.

Do you need additional help identifying grasshoppers in Kansas?

If so, check out this excellent ID guide!

National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects of North America

12 Grasshopper Species found in Kansas!