Bug FAQNarrow-winged Spur-throat Grasshopper
Melanoplus angustipennis · Order: Orthoptera · Family: Acrididae
Also called: Narrow-winged Sand Grasshopper, Narrow-winged Locust
The narrow-winged spur-throat grasshopper is a medium-sized insect about 2 to 3 cm long and lives in open sandy habitats across North America. It feeds mainly on aster family forbs and other herbaceous plants, and it is not a major pest of food crops.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Its cercus is small and narrowed in the middle, which helps separate it from similar species.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure roughly 20 to 30 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
They are not considered a major pest of food crops.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It primarily eats plants in the Asteraceae family and other forbs, but will also consume grasses and shrubs.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Nymphs hatch from eggs in early to late May. They develop into adults over 36 to 42 days, reaching full size and growing wings.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from early July through the end of October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It resembles Melanoplus sanguinipes but can be distinguished by its small, mid-narrowed cercus.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 28 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas, Michigan, Illinois, North Dakota, Nebraska, Georgia.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants does this grasshopper eat?
It feeds mainly on aster family forbs and other herbaceous plants, and also eats grasses and shrubs.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see adult narrow-winged spur-throat grasshoppers?
Adults are present from early July until the end of October.
Source: Wikipedia
Is this grasshopper a pest to crops or gardens?
It is not regarded as a major pest of food crops.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Acrididae)
Differential GrasshopperMelanoplus differentialisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Two-striped GrasshopperMelanoplus bivittatusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Carolina GrasshopperDissosteira carolinaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Common Field GrasshopperChorthippus brunneus
Egyptian Bird GrasshopperAnacridium aegyptium
Gray Bird GrasshopperSchistocerca nitensDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanoplus_angustipennis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.