Melanoplus femurrubrum
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Melanoplus femurrubrum, the red-legged grasshopper, is a species of grasshopper belonging to the genus Melanoplus. It is one of the most common grasshoppers found in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. This grasshopper is frequently used as a model organism in scientific studies, due to their abundance throughout North America and behavioral response to changes in climate.
Melanoplus femurrubrum is a medium-sized grasshopper, in which males can range in length from 1.7 cm (0.67 in) – 2.4 cm (0.94 in), whereas females can range from 1.8 cm (0.71 in) – 3.0 cm (1.2 in) long. This grasshopper has a reddish-brown back, a greenish-yellow belly, and red hind tibiae, hence its specific name femurrubrum (femur = thigh, rubrum = red). Wings of M. femurrubrum typically extend beyond the tip of the abdomen. Males have an enlarged abdomen, with a U-shaped sub-genital plate.
Melanoplus femurrubrum can be found in a variety of habitats found throughout most of North America, but prefer grasslands and areas of thick vegetation. They are commonly found in disturbed habitats and old fields. Melanoplus femurrubrum, like other Orthoptera, undergo... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Badlands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Red-Legged Grasshopper sighting in Denver on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 246th most-seen of the 461 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red-Legged Grasshopper in Denver on a given day, against under 5% in November to August, the lowest months.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-Legged Grasshopper sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
11th of 16
Of the 16 cities where we can rate Red-Legged Grasshopper sightings, Denver ranks 11th at under 5%. The best odds are in Boston (United States, about 10%), Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, about 10%) and Montreal (Canada, about 10%).
Same genus: Melanoplus
The closest relatives of the Red-Legged Grasshopper that you can see in Denver (genus Melanoplus, North American Spur-throated Grasshoppers) are Two-Striped Grasshopper (about 20%) and Differential Grasshopper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red-Legged Grasshopper is recorded against all the insects logged in Denver (13 verified sightings), 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.
