Rangeland grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) consume less than their actual damage: A study to examine the clipping behavior in grasshoppers

Grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae), can cause severe damage to western rangelands where they are estimated to consume 30% loss of forage. In addition to consuming leaf tissue grasshoppers clip plant leaves, stems and blades but consume only a small portion of these clippings. A laboratory study was conducted to observe the clipping behavior among different species of grasshoppers to quantify the amount of clippings generated by each species feeding on big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii and buffalograss, Bouteloua dactyloides. All tested grasshoppers generated clippings on both grasses but varied by species. Spharagemon collare clipped the highest levels of big bluestem followed by Ageneotettix deorum. Arphia simplex clipped the most buffalograss while A. deorum clipped the least.  Water status of the grass affected the results with A. deorum clipping the maximum amount of buffalograss at moderate moisture levels. Spharagemon collare clipped the most buffalograss with high moisture but the lowest amount of well-hydrated big bluestem. We conclude that grasshopper clipping results in damage and that water status of the plant and grasshopper species are important factors in determining damage. This study will be helpful in refining economic injury levels for important rangeland grasshopper species.