Locust-relative
Guides
Schistocerca nitens
vagrant grasshopper, gray bird grasshopper
Schistocerca nitens is a large grasshopper native to southern North America, closely related to the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria). Adults are sexually dimorphic in size, with females reaching 60–70 mm and males 40–50 mm. The species exhibits mottled gray, brown, and yellow coloration with a distinctive stripe running from head to thorax. Unlike true locusts, it does not undergo phase polymorphism, though dense populations can occur through favorable conditions rather than behavioral transformation. The species has become invasive in Hawaii, where it caused severe vegetation damage on Nīhoa in 2004.
Schistocerca serialis cubense
A Caribbean subspecies of bird grasshopper in the genus Schistocerca, closely related to locust species capable of density-dependent phase polyphenism. As a member of the Alutacea group within Schistocerca, it shares traits with migratory relatives though specific behavioral data for this subspecies remains limited.