Dissosteira carolina
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Dissosteira carolina, the Carolina grasshopper, Carolina locust, black-winged grasshopper, road-duster or quaker, is a band-winged species of grasshopper which ranges widely in North America inhabiting weedy grasslands. The Carolina Locust is a short-horned grasshopper (Family Acrididae) found in most of the United States and other parts of North America (Fig 1). These grasshoppers can be anywhere between 32 and 58 mm, with females being larger than males. Their color can range from grey to brown with contrasting black and yellow-white hind wings.
Carolina Locusts are often found on or around dirt roads or paths, where they can easily blend in to gravel and soil. They prefer dry, sunny, open areas for basking, courting displays, and egg laying. Their courtship displays include flying and hovering above the open ground. These males can also call, but their sound is soft and quiet. Their flight is commonly confused for the flight of butterflies.
This species is not known to be a major pest, but some outbreaks have caused some damage in the early 20th century. Individuals of Dissosteira carolina reach over 32–58 mm in length. They tend to be conspicuous due to their... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Carolina Grasshopper sighting in Edmonton on a given day, based on 114 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 24th most-seen of the 390 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July to September
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Carolina Grasshopper in Edmonton on a given day, against under 5% in October to June, the lowest months. Those are among Edmonton's wettest months, with about 65 mm of rain a month against 20 mm in February.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Carolina 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.
Yes
Of the 17 cities where we can rate Carolina Grasshopper sightings, Edmonton has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Montreal (Canada, about 10%) and Denver (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Acrididae
The closest relatives of the Carolina Grasshopper that you can see in Edmonton (family Acrididae, Short-horned Grasshoppers) are Two-Striped Grasshopper (about 10%), Marsh Meadow Grasshopper (about 10%) and Speckle-Winged Rangeland Grasshopper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Carolina Grasshopper is recorded against all the insects logged in Edmonton (114 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.
