It is a medium-sized grasshopper (males 18-22 mm; females 22-27 mm) with dark and often reddish colour tones. It is similar in appearance and size to the migratory grasshopper (Melanoplus sanguinipes) but is distinguished by differences in the male genitalia. The Bruner grasshopper has recently become the predominant grasshopper species in many northern crop production areas of Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan. It occupies a wide geographic range and is found throughout much of Canada and the United States.
The Bruner grasshopper feeds mainly on broadleaf host plants but the species can feed upon several species of grasses. It has been observed in high numbers feeding in pulse crops, canola, and cereals.
Researchers are investigating if this species follows a two-year life cycle (i.e. do eggs require exposure to two winters before hatching?) in the Peace River region and parts of central Alberta.
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| Bruner grasshopper (Melanoplus bruneri) adult. Photo credit: S. Barkley, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. |
Access these websites for more information related to the Bruner Grasshopper:
- https://www.sidney.ars.usda.gov/grasshopper/ID_Tools/F_Sheets/brunersp.htm
- http://scholar.ulethbridge.ca/sites/default/files/danjohnson/files/grasshopper_identification_control_methods.pdf
- http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/all/prm16528
Access more information related to grasshoppers here.
