An incredible amount of grasshopper species live in Tennessee!

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.

15 Grasshoppers in Tennessee:

#1. 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 Tennessee.

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!

#2. 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 Tennessee.

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.

#3. 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 Tennessee.

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.

#4. 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 Tennessee.

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.

#5. 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 Tennessee 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!

#6. Red-headed Bush Cricket

Phyllopalpus pulchellus

Adults average 0.2-0.3 in (7–9mm) long.
This insect’s wings are black, with a reddish head and yellow legs.
Their back legs are much longer than the front and stick out behind their bodies.

Red-headed Bush Crickets are found in brushy areas in Tennessee.

This cricket species has a loud, rattle-like song that’s easily recognizable. However, you’re much less likely to see one of these tiny creatures since they spend most of their time hidden among leaves!

These crickets are omnivorous and will eat almost any plant they inhabit. Additionally, they also hunt smaller insects and even insect eggs.

#7. Common True Katydid

Pterophylla camellifolia

Adults grow up to 2 in (50 mm) long.
They are bright green, which allows them to blend into their habitat.
Their wings are rounded at the end and narrow where they meet the body, and they have vein-like structures that give them the appearance of leaves.

The Common True Katydid lives in deciduous forests in Tennessee.

This insect got its name from the sound it makes, which is a raspy call that sounds like someone whispering “kay-tee-did.” It’s often quite loud and very recognizable on a summer evening.

Although Common True Katydids have wings, they seldom fly. Instead, these bugs walk or hop from branch to branch in the trees where they live. They eat the leaves of the deciduous trees where they make their homes.

#8. Pine Tree Spur-throat Grasshopper

Melanoplus punctulatus

Adults are 1-1.7 in (27-45 mm) long.
Their coloring is light tan or gray with black, brown, or greenish-mottled spots.
They have large eyes, relatively short legs, and slender wings.

Pine Tree Spur-Throat Grasshoppers are sometimes found in their namesake trees but also inhabit many other trees in Tennessee. They eat the leaves of the trees where they live. Look for them in open forests from July to September.

This species is primarily nocturnal, meaning it is most active at night.

However, they are attracted to light sources, so if you have a light on in the evening, you might see some.

#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 Tennessee.

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. Short-winged Meadow Katydid

Conocephalus brevipennis

Adults are 0.4-0.6 in (12-16 mm) long.
They have bright green bodies with brown wings and legs.
Their eyes are large, and their antennae and legs are very long.

Look for these Katydids in late summer through fall, when they are active and reproducing. They make a call similar to other Katydids, which sounds like someone saying their name.

You can recognize this particular insect by its short wings, which are often only a fraction of its body length. In contrast, its legs are very long and stick out quite a bit from its body.

#11. 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 Tennessee.

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.

#12. Greenhouse Camel Cricket

Tachycines asynamorus

Adults are 0.4–0.6 in (11–14 mm) long.
They are yellowish-brown to reddish-brown, with dark brown patterns.
Their bodies are curved, and they have extremely long limbs and antennae.

Greenhouse Camel Crickets look more like an alien species than crickets as we think of them! These interesting creatures usually live in caves in humid, tropical environments. Introduced populations find greenhouses a good replacement, which is how they got their name!

If you find them in your greenhouse, don’t worry. Unlike many grasshoppers in Tennessee, these crickets are carnivorous! They eat smaller insects and invertebrates, so your plants will be safe from these insects.

#13. 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 Tennessee.

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.

#14. Broad-tipped Conehead

Neoconocephalus triops

Adults are 1.7-2.6 in (43-67 mm) long.
Their coloring is variable; some are bright green, while others are tan with black markings.
They have long, slender bodies and wings with a distinctive cone-shaped head.

These katydids are easily recognizable because of their long, cone-shaped heads. The head comes to a point between the eyes, which are small, beady, and close together.

Broad-tipped Coneheads are most active in the fall, and you can hear their call from low brush or high above in the tree canopy. It sounds like a low, humming trill in about 1-second intervals.

#15. 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 Tennessee, 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 Tennessee?

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

Do you need additional help identifying grasshoppers in Tennessee?

If so, check out this excellent ID guide!

National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects of North America

15 Grasshopper Species found in Tennessee!