The genus Schistocerca includes about 50 species distributed across the New World (North, Central, and South America) and one species in Africa. Commonly referred to as the birdwing grasshoppers, due to their strong flight capacity, Schistocerca grasshoppers are biologically fascinating. One of the most famous (or infamous) members of the genus is the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, which is a biblical plague locust, which still devastates many countries in North Africa and the Middle East. In North America, there are about 10 species many of which have high localized and patchy distribution. The main goal of this "Birdwing Grasshopper Project" is to understand how different Schistocerca species are distributed across North America. It will help scientists investigate the life history and evolution of these fascinating insects.
This project is likely to evolve into a global effort to locate all known species of Schistocerca. However, as a starter, we will focus on those species found in Texas.
In Texas, these Schistocerca species are known to occur: S. americana, S. nitens, S. lineata, S. obscura, and S. damnifica.
If you find any of these species, take a picture, and upload with exact location and date. For more information, please visit www.schistocerca.org
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