Spharagemon collare

The collar-like pronotal ridge distinguishes this species from most grasshoppers. The combination of high, deeply incised median pronotal carina, orange to red hind tibia, and yellow hind femur with four dark bands separates it from sympatric Spharagemon species. Spharagemon cristatum has a more pointed pronotum with higher crest and longer forewings (>29 mm in males); S. equale occurs in loam to clay soils rather than sandy habitats. Nymphs are identifiable by tan color with profuse brown spots, elevated pronotal carina with shallow notch, and distinctive hind leg color patterns progressing through instars.

Adults are tan to gray with heavy brown speckling that may coalesce into faint bands. The enlarged pronotal ridge behind the head forms a distinctive collar-like structure. The median carina of the pronotum is high and deeply incised once anterior to the middle. Wings extend 6–9 mm past the abdomen tip; forewings are speckled to banded, while hindwings display wide yellow and black bands with a clear wing tip. The hind tibia is deep orange or red; the inner face of the hind femur is yellow with four dark transverse bands. Females measure 27–37 mm in body length; males are smaller at 23–31 mm.

Sandy soil habitats with sparse grass and forb cover, including sand prairies, sand blowouts, and sandy banks of lakes and streams. In the West, inhabits sand prairie dominated by tall grasses such as sand bluestem and prairie sandreed. Ruderal sandy loam sites including wheat field edges, roadsides, and other disturbed areas support unusually high densities. Rare in grasslands with loam to clay soils.

Northern and western United States and southern Canada. Documented in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Michigan, Wyoming, Idaho, Nebraska, and Manitoba. Also recorded in northeastern Mexico.

Nymphs emerge late May to mid-June over a 23-day hatching period. Adults present July through September. Minimum nymphal development period is 42 days, with males developing faster than females.

Polyphagous herbivore consuming grasses, sedges, and forbs. Primary grasses and sedges include blue grama, needle-and-thread, western wheatgrass, sand dropseed, witchgrass, and threadleaf sedge. Heavily consumed forbs include kochia and Missouri milkvetch. Additional recorded foods: sand bluestem, little bluestem, prairie sandreed, buffalograss, hairy grama, junegrass, sun sedge, Baltic rush, sand sagebrush, western sticktight, sunflower, redroot pigweed, bracted spiderwort, rusty lupine, western ragweed, Kentucky bluegrass, penstemon, and lettuce.

Eggs are deposited in sand approximately 13 mm deep in pods 19 mm long by 5 mm diameter, containing 21–28 tan eggs each 5–5.2 mm long. Oviposition lasts approximately 34 minutes; eggs are covered with sand by brushing with hind tarsi. Five nymphal instars; extended hatching period results in overlapping instar stages. Males progress through instars faster than females.

Geophilous: lives and forages on ground surface, resting horizontally on ground litter or under grass canopies overnight. Climbs grass stems only to cut pieces for consumption, handling food with front tarsi while resting horizontally. Basks at dawn and dusk by exposing abdomen perpendicular to sun rays with hindleg lowered; seeks shade during peak heat, stilting on bare ground at soil surface temperatures of 105°F. Flight is straight with right-angle turns at start or end; males crepitate when escaping danger or approaching females. Males stridulate with one to two pulses when courting; unreceptive females reject males by shaking hind femora and striking ground with hind tarsi.

Herbivore in sandy grassland ecosystems. Population densities typically low (0.1–1 per square yard), limiting overall impact. Serves as prey for grassland birds including grasshopper sparrow and western meadowlark, with avian predation documented as a significant population control factor.

Minor pest of wheat and other grains; populations rarely reach damaging levels. Can achieve densities of 10 per square yard in disturbed sandy loam areas, presenting hazard to newly seeded crested wheatgrass in Idaho. Not considered a serious economic pest due to characteristically low population densities.

• Spharagemon cristatumOverlaps in range but has more pointed pronotum with higher crest, longer male forewings (>29 mm), and more frequent male stridulation; occurs in more southern areas.
• Spharagemon equaleOccurs in loam to clay soils where S. collare is rare; closely related but ecologically segregated.
• Spharagemon bolliAdults inhabit sunny meadows and pine openings rather than sand prairies; nymphs likely similar but unstudied.

• BugGuide
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• GBIF taxonomy match
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• Catalogue of Life
• Mottled Sand Grasshopper
• Grasshoppers of Colorado
• List of Species Fact Sheets| Grasshoppers of Wyoming and the West
• Grasshoppers of Colorado
• Species Records and Accounts
• Grasshoppers of Colorado