Species of the Month

August’s Species of the Month is our first insect to be featured. A frequent sight during the summer is the differential grasshopper. There are many species of grasshopper around the world, this one is widespread through the US, although it is absent from some states. If you live in most of the US, odds are good that you’ve seen one. While we often think of them as a hopping insect (hence the name) they also fly. Here in Washington we don’t have the differential, but a large grasshopper here makes a clacking sound as it flies past. Along with crickets, the grasshopper is one of those critters I associate with the shortening days and cool nights as we begin transitioning into fall.

Adult differential grasshopper (from Bug Guide)

Scientific name: Melanoplus differentialis

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Insecta (insects)

Order: Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids)

Range: Mexico to Alaska via the Midwest and Prairie Provinces, southern New England to North Carolina, American Southwest

Habitat: Grassy areas

Lifespan: About a year

Diet: Grasses and forbs           

Predators: Mites, nematodes, bee flies, blister beetles, Scelionid wasps, Tachinidae flies, Sarcophagidae flies, skunks, shrews, moles, salamanders, snakes, toads, passerine birds

Conservation Status: Species of least concern

Grasshopper eggs (from ID Tools)

Other Information: The differential grasshopper is a crop pest in many areas where it is found. When congregated in large enough numbers, a swarm can be devastating. Egg packets are laid in soil, a half to two inches deep. Larvae hatch in spring and go through a series of molts before reaching adulthood in 40-60 days. They are noted for the dark chevrons on their jumping legs and come in many color morphs, ranging from to olive green to black to almost white. They are edible for humans and make good fishing bait.

Differential grasshopper nymph (from Cape May Wildlife)

This week’s information comes from Texas A&M, Insect Identification for the Casual Observer, and University of Kentucky. Photo credits: Bug Guide, ID Tools, Cape May Wildlife 

Species of the Month: Eastern Cottontail

Peter Cottontail is hopping down the bunny trail with April’s Species of the Month. The eastern cottontail rabbit is among the most common wildlife. I frequently saw them in my grandparents’ back yard and was a little jealous that rabbits didn’t come to my house. Although they almost never reach six feet tall at the ears, they are closely related to the Easter Bunny (Lepus pascha). Rabbits in general are associated with Easter because they symbolize abundant new life. For more on that topic, keep reading to see just how abundant these little critters can be. Once again, this month’s facts come from University of Michigan’s Animal Diversity Web.

Scientific name: Sylvilagus floridanus

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Lagomorpha (rabbits, hares, pikas)

Range: Eastern and central Canada south through eastern and central US, Central America, and northwestern South America

Habitat: Interface between wooded and open areas; meadows, orchards, farms, hedges, and second growth forest areas

Lifespan: 3 years

Diet: Herbivorous. Grasses primarily during spring/summer, with some clover and garden plants. Winter diet consists mainly of woody plant parts. They must ingest feces to reabsorb nutrients that were broken down during initial digestion but not absorbed completely. 

Predators: hawks, owls, foxes, coyotes, weasels

Conservation Status: No special protection

Other Information: Rabbits really do multiply like rabbits. Females can have as many as 7 litters of up to a dozen bunnies in a single year. The next litter is usually born just after the last litter leaves the nest. Reproductive age is 2-3 months. A first-time mother could conceivably become a grandmother or great grandmother the same year her first litter is born. Eastern cottontails molt twice a year. A spring molt leaves a short summer coat of brown fur, while a fall molt produces a thicker gray coat. Deer have the same seasonal coloration. Babies are born hairless and blind, in contrast to hares, which are born hairy (good way to remember the difference) and with open eyes. They receive little care, weaning between 16 and 22 days old. The litter disperses at around 7 weeks old. Cottontails avoid predation by freezing or flushing, the zigzagging leaps you’ve probably seen.

UM Animal Diversity Web: http://animaldiversity.org/