Schistocerca americana

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Schistocerca
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Schistocerca americana is
a species of grasshopper in
the family Acrididae known
commonly as the American
Conservation status
grasshopper[2] and
American bird Scientific classification
grasshopper.[3] It is native
to North America, where it
Kingdom: Animalia
occurs in the eastern United
States, Mexico, and the Phylum: Arthropoda
Bahamas.[2] Occasional, Class: Insecta
localized outbreaks of this Order: Orthoptera
grasshopper occur, and it is
Suborder: Caelifera
often referred to as a locust,
[4] though it lacks the true Family: Acrididae

swarming form of its Subfamily: Cyrtacanthacridinae

congener, the desert locust Tribe: Cyrtacanthacridini
(S. gregaria).[5] Genus: Schistocerca

Contents Species: S. americana

1 Description Binomial name
2 Taxonomy Schistocerca americana
3 Development Drury, 1770[1]
4 Impacts
5 Chemistry Synonyms[1]
6 References S. ambiguum Thomas, 1872
S. approximans Walker, 1870
Description
S. interrupta Walker, 1870
The adult male of the S. rusticus Fabricius, 1775
species is up to 4.5 cm long,
S. vittatum Palisot de
and the adult female may
Beauvois, 1805
reach 5.5 cm. The body of
the adult is generally yellow-brown in color and the wings
are pale with large brown spots. The nymphs are different in
appearance.[2] They change color as they mature and their
coloration is a polyphenic trait - influenced by environmental
conditions, producing multiple forms from one genotype.
This is not uncommon among grasshoppers. In this species,
the coloration of the nymphs is especially influenced by
temperature. Nymphs are various shades of green, yellow, or
red, usually with a pattern of black markings. They are often
red at lower temperatures, but at higher temperatures, only
green and yellow shades occur. Black patterning is also
influenced by temperature, with lower temperatures inducing
darker markings. Density is also a common factor in color
polyphenism, but it is less important in this species than in
many other grasshoppers. Nymphs reared in crowded
conditions develop darker black markings, but density has
little effect on their background colors.[6]

Taxonomy
S. americana is closely related to the tropical swarming
locust S. piceifrons with which it can be readily hybridized in
the laboratory.[7]

Development
Two generations occur per year. The female lays up to three
clutches of eggs in a season. A clutch contains 60 to 80 light
orange eggs, each about 7 to 8 mm long. The eggs stick
together in a frothy mass and the female deposits the mass
up to 3 cm deep in the soil. In 3 to 4 weeks, the nymphs
emerge and dig to the surface. They remain in a group,
feeding together, becoming less gregarious as they develop.
[2]

An individual usually progresses through six instars during

development, but in low densities, some nymphs complete
five. The first-instar nymph is up to 9 mm long and lacks
wing structures. The second instar has wing pads and more
segments in its antennae. The third instar is up to 2 cm long
and the wing pads are triangular. The fourth instar has
venation in its wing pads. The fifth instar is up to 3.5 cm long
and the wing pads have changed position. By the sixth
instar, the wings have elongated.[2]

This species overwinters as an adult rather than in the egg,

as many other grasshoppers do.[2]

Impacts
This is not a severe agricultural pest in terms of economic
losses, but it can sometimes cause significant damage to
many kinds of crops. It is perhaps best known in Florida,
where it can be a pest of citrus. When conditions are right,
"population explosions" occur and masses of grasshoppers
descend on crop plants.[5] It can defoliate trees and eat
smaller plants to the ground.[2] Though its outbreaks are
rare, it is considered to be the most destructive grasshopper
in Florida.[8]

Besides citrus, it is known to feed on corn, cotton, oats,

peanut, rye, sugarcane, tobacco, vegetable crops,[2] and
ornamentals.[8] Other host plants include many grasses,
such as bahiagrass, bermudagrass, and crabgrass. It can
infest dogwood, hickory, and palm trees. It can also damage
buildings with chewing activity, particularly objects such as
window screens.[2]

Chemistry
This species was the source of a newly discovered class of
chemical compounds called caeliferins. These are fatty acid
chains present in the grasshopper's regurgitant. When the
grasshopper feeds on a plant, the caeliferins in the
regurgitant induce the plant to release volatile organic
compounds. This is a common response to herbivory in
plants; the volatile organic compounds are attractive to
predators of the herbivorous insects. Caeliferins may also
play a role in defense, as the grasshopper expels large
amounts of regurgitant when attacked.[3]

References
1. ^ a b "Schistocerca americana (Drury, 1770)".
Orthoptera Species File. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Squitier, J. M. and J. L. Capinera.
Schistocerca americana (Drury). Entomology and
Nematology. University of Florida IFAS.
3. ^ a b Alborn, H. T., et al. (2007). Disulfooxy fatty acids
from the American bird grasshopper Schistocerca
americana, elicitors of plant volatiles. Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences 104(32) 12976-81.
4. Greenlee, K. J. and J. F. Harrison. (2004). Development
of respiratory function in the American locust
Schistocerca americana I. Across-instar effects. Journal
of Experimental Biology 207(3) 497-508.
5. ^ a b Thomas, M. C. The American grasshopper,
 Schistocerca americana americana (Drury) (Orthoptera:
Acrididae).[permanent dead link] Entomology Circular No.
342. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services. May, 1991.
6. Tanaka, S. (2004). Environmental control of body-color
polyphenism in the American grasshopper,
Schistocerca americana. Annals of the Entomological
Society of America 97(2) 293-301.
7. Harvey AW (1981) A reclassification of the Schistocerca
americana complex (Orthopera: Acrididae) Acrida 10(2):
61-77.
8. ^ a b Capinera, J. L. (1993). Differentiation of nymphal
instars in Schistocerca americana (Orthoptera:
Acrididae). The Florida Entomologist 76(1) 175-79.

Wikidata: Q10287974
BOLD: 201422
BugGuide: 7596
EoL: 856433
EPPO: SHICAM
Taxon identifiers GBIF: 1707282
iNaturalist: 69736
ITIS: 102225
NCBI: 7009
Orthoptera Species File: 1112382