Spur-throated Grasshopper Identification Guide
One of the most common grasshopper groups in North America, told apart by a small spur on the throat between the front legs.
Read the full Spur-throated Grasshopper encyclopedia entry →
Key Visual Features
Spur-throated grasshoppers (subfamily Melanoplinae) are a large group that includes many of the most familiar grasshoppers found in fields and gardens.
- Size: Medium to large, generally 0.75-2 inches (2-5 cm) depending on species
- Color: Ranges from brown, gray, and olive to reddish or yellowish, often with mottled patterning that blends with dry vegetation
- Body shape: Fairly robust, cylindrical body typical of grasshoppers
- Wings: Most species have fully developed hind wings, often tinted yellow, orange, or clear, used for short flights
- Legs: Strong, enlarged hind legs built for jumping; hind tibiae may show reddish or yellowish coloring
- Antennae: Short and thickened, much shorter than the body — a key trait separating grasshoppers from katydids and crickets
- Key marking: A small, cone-shaped spur (tubercle) on the underside of the throat, between the bases of the front legs — this single feature defines the group and is best seen by gently viewing the underside
Where and When You'd See It
Spur-throated grasshoppers are found across meadows, prairies, roadsides, pastures, and gardens throughout North America. They are active from late spring through fall, with numbers building through summer and peaking in late summer to early autumn. Being sun-loving, they are most active on warm, sunny days, basking on low vegetation and bare ground and becoming still or dropping into cover when disturbed.
Similar-Looking Bugs
- Slant-faced grasshoppers: Have a distinctly sloped, pointed face profile and lack the throat spur
- Band-winged grasshoppers: Show brightly colored hind wings (yellow, red, or black bands) that flash in flight and produce a crackling sound; the throat spur is absent
- True katydids: Have long, thread-like antennae far exceeding body length, unlike the short antennae of spur-throated grasshoppers
- Crickets: Flatter bodies with long antennae and no throat spur
Quick ID Checklist
- Short, thick antennae (shorter than the body)
- Small cone-like spur on the throat between the front legs
- Robust body, often brown or olive with mottled camouflage
- Strong jumping hind legs
- Common in grassy meadows and gardens from summer into fall
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest way to confirm a spur-throated grasshopper?
Gently turn it to view the underside of the throat between the front legs — a small, cone-shaped spur confirms the group, distinguishing it from slant-faced or band-winged grasshoppers.
Do spur-throated grasshoppers fly?
Most species have functional hind wings and can fly short distances, though flight is usually brief compared to more strongly flying band-winged species.
How do I tell a grasshopper from a katydid or cricket?
Look at the antennae — grasshoppers, including spur-throated species, have short antennae much shorter than the body, while katydids and crickets have long, thread-like antennae.
What time of year are they most noticeable?
Populations grow through summer and are typically most abundant and visible in late summer and early fall.