Brachystola magna
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
Brachystola magna, the plains lubber grasshopper, western lubber grasshopper or homesteader, is a large species of grasshopper in the family Romaleidae, native to open and semi-open habitats of central and southern United States and northern Mexico.
Adults are typically 4–6 cm (1.6–2.4 in) long, with females growing larger than males. It is reddish brown with black dots on its outer wings, however there is some variation in coloration, with more northern variants tending to be greener, and southern ones more brownish-buff. Brachystola magna has extremely small wings and is unable to fly. The antennae are bluish-brown and the legs are reddish near the body with purple tarsi. It has a ridge along the upper and middle region of the abdomen. It is distinguished from Brachystola virescens by its longer antennae and color.
In Wyoming it is found on gravelly ground in the southwest of the state. It does not cause significant damage to crops, and seems to prefer coarse broadleaved plants to crops. It overwinters in the egg, which hatch in the spring and reach adulthood in August.
Walter Sutton's description of reduction division was based on studying the spermatocytes of Brachystola magna. This work was critical in the development of the chromosome theory of inheritance. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Badlands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Plains Lubber Grasshopper sighting in Big Bend National Park on a given day, based on 130 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 9th most-seen of the 329 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August to November
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Plains Lubber Grasshopper in Big Bend National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February to May, the lowest months. Those are among Big Bend National Park's wettest months, with about 35 mm of rain a month against 10 mm in April.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Plains Lubber Grasshopper sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Plains Lubber Grasshopper sightings, Big Bend National Park ranks 2nd at about 30%. The best odds are in Guadalupe Mountains National Park (United States, about 40%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Plains Lubber Grasshopper is recorded against all the insects logged in Big Bend National Park (130 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
