An incredible amount of grasshopper species live in Nevada!

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.

3 Grasshoppers in Nevada:

#1. Mormon Cricket

Anabrus simplex

Adults grow up to 3 inches (8 cm) long.
Most individuals are dark brown to black, although some females are bright green.
They have large, stocky bodies and relatively short legs.

Mormon Crickets are one of the largest crickets in Nevada!

Although their common name suggests they are crickets and look similar to grasshoppers, they are actually members of the shield-backed katydid family. You can see this hard outer shell in close-up pictures. Just look for the plate extending from the back of the head to the abdomen.

Although their population is usually rather low, swarms of Mormon Crickets do occur occasionally. These swarms form bands of crickets up to 100 per square meter, posing safety risks. For example, if a band of crickets crosses a highway, drivers can become distracted. Crickets crushed on roadways can even cause slippery conditions similar to ice!

#2. 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 Nevada, 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.

#3. Pallid-winged Grasshopper

Trimerotropis pallidipennis

Adults may grow to 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) long.
Adults are variable in color but are primarily gray or gray-brown with dark bands on their forewings and yellowish hind tibiae.
Their hind wings are long, narrow, and pale yellow with greenish or bluish at the base and a narrow dark band.

These drably colored grasshoppers typically live in deserts or dry areas in Nevada.

They like areas with sparse vegetation and bare ground, such as roadsides, vacant lots, and fields. Their coloring helps them blend in with the ground.

Some of the Pallid-winged Grasshopper’s behavior is dependent on the temperature. They tend to spend time foraging when temperatures are 75–90 °F (24–32 °C) and breed when they are 86–104 °F (30–40 °C).

Occasionally, Pallid-winged Grasshoppers will have localized population booms that can cause severe damage to vegetation and crops. These outbreaks may last a year or two.

Rainfall is a major factor in the survival of Pallid-winged Grasshopper eggs. The large outbreaks of these grasshoppers are associated with above-average rainfall levels in the previous fall, winter, and early spring.

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

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

Do you need additional help identifying grasshoppers in Nevada?

If so, check out this excellent ID guide!

National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects of North America

3 Grasshopper Species found in Nevada!