Brachystola magna
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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 |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Plains Lubber Grasshopper sighting in Saguaro National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 300th most-seen of the 354 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 to November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Plains Lubber Grasshopper in Saguaro National Park on a given day, against under 5% in December to August, the lowest months.
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.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Plains Lubber Grasshopper sightings, Saguaro National Park ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Guadalupe Mountains National Park (United States, about 40%), Big Bend National Park (United States, about 30%) and Badlands National Park (United States, about 20%).
Same order: Orthoptera
The closest relatives of the Plains Lubber Grasshopper that you can see in Saguaro National Park (order Orthoptera, Grasshoppers, Crickets, and Katydids) are Gray Bird Grasshopper (about 20%), Pallid-Winged Grasshopper (about 20%) and Common Short-Wing Katydid (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Plains Lubber Grasshopper is recorded against all the insects logged in Saguaro National Park (5 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.
