Other Common Names
Homesteader, Western Lubber Grasshopper
Identification
Large, colorful grasshopper. See photos and Internet references. Flightless.
Range
Western great plains of North America, south into Mexico.
Habitat
Shortgrass and other prairies, semi-deserts
Season
Early summer into fall (November), depending on latitude.
Food
Eats many types of forbs, grasses. Especially fond of sunflowers, Helianthus.
Life Cycle
Two-year life cycle, with eggs requiring two overwintering periods before hatching.
Remarks
Species name sometimes written magnus instead of magna.
Important in the history of
genetics, this species has large chromosomes, easily observed in the early days of cell biology.
