Eastern Lubber Grasshopper

Eastern Lubber Grasshopper

Romalea microptera

Endemic
Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
at Big Cypress National Preserve

In 3 days >90%

743 Verified sightings at Big Cypress National Preserve From 2019 to 2026
2,497 In all 3 parks
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper

Romalea is a genus of grasshoppers native to the Southeastern and South-central United States. As traditionally defined, it contains a single species, Romalea microptera, known commonly as the Georgia thumper, eastern lubber grasshopper, Florida lubber, or Florida lubber grasshopper, although some recent authorities regard Taeniopoda as a junior synonym, in which case there are about a dozen Romalea species in the southern United States, Mexico and Central America.

R. microptera is one of the most distinctive grasshopper species within the Southeastern US, and is well known for its relatively large size and its unique coloration. Romalea is the type genus of the family Romaleidae and tribe Romaleini. It has been suggested that the valid name for Romalea microptera is Romalea guttata. However, microptera has been marked as a nomen protectum by the ICZN, making guttata a synonym.

As traditionally defined, Romalea only contains the species R. microptera, but recent authorities regard Taeniopoda as a synonym, in which case there are about a dozen Romalea species. Romalea and Taeniopoda have generally been separated based on color and pronotum, but more comprehensive morphological... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
~80%
2 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~70%
3 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
~20%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Orlando 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
2 Miami 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Closest Relatives at Big Cypress National Preserve

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Eastern Lubber Grasshopper in Big Cypress National Preserve?

Very likely

About 80% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Lubber Grasshopper sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, based on 743 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 262 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Eastern Lubber Grasshopper in Big Cypress National Preserve?

March to July

In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Lubber Grasshopper in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, against about 30% in December, the lowest month.

What time of day is best to see an Eastern Lubber Grasshopper?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eastern 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.

Is Big Cypress National Preserve the best place to see an Eastern Lubber Grasshopper?

Yes

Of the 3 parks where we can rate Eastern Lubber Grasshopper sightings, Big Cypress National Preserve has the highest daily chance: about 80%. Next come Everglades National Park (United States, about 70%) and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (United States, about 20%).

Where does the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper is recorded against all the insects logged in Big Cypress National Preserve (743 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.

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