Tallgrass

Guides

• Phoetaliotes nebrascensis

  large-headed grasshopper, largeheaded grasshopper, red-nosed grasshopper, big head, large-headed locust

  Phoetaliotes nebrascensis is a medium-sized, slim spur-throated grasshopper distinguished by its disproportionately large head relative to body size. It is a dominant species in North American tallgrass prairie and common in lush patches of mixedgrass prairie. The species exhibits wing dimorphism: most adults have short, non-functional wings, while a small percentage possess long wings enabling flight. It feeds almost exclusively on grasses, an unusual trait among spur-throated grasshoppers.

  grasshopperMelanoplinaeprairietallgrasswing-dimorphismphytophilousgrass-specialistlate-seasonpestNorth-AmericaAcrididaeOrthoptera