Desert-shrubland

Guides

• Melanoplus rugglesi

  Nevada Sage Grasshopper

  Melanoplus rugglesi is a medium-sized spur-throated grasshopper endemic to the cold desert shrublands of the western United States. The species exhibits pronounced phase polyphenism, with solitary and migratory forms differing in body size, wing length, and coloration. Named in honor of entomologist Arthur G. Ruggles, this grasshopper is notable for its extreme migratory behavior and extended outbreak dynamics, with populations persisting at high densities for multiple years.

  grasshopperpestmigratorydesert-shrublandsagebrush-feederphase-polyphenismoutbreak-speciesNorth-AmericaAcrididaeMelanoplinae