Melanoplus sanguinipes
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Melanoplus sanguinipes, known generally as migratory grasshopper, is a species of spur-throated grasshopper in the family Acrididae. Other common names include the lesser migratory grasshopper and red-legged grasshopper (which is also the common name of a separate species). It is found in the Caribbean and North America.
Melanoplus sanguinipes vulturnus Gurney and Brooks, 1959 i g Data sources: i = ITIS, c = Catalogue of Life, g = GBIF, b = Bugguide.net A common and widespread medium grasshopper, varying from 15mm-30mm in length. Females tend to be larger than males. The species is identified by broad, apically-rounded cerci and the color of the hind tibiae: usually a red, orange or pink but occasionally blue, green, or a dull brown.
Bugguide.net. Species Melanoplus sanguinipes - Migratory Grasshopper USDA factsheet. Migratory Grasshopper Melanoplus sanguinipes (Fabricius) Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Migratory Grasshopper sighting in Yosemite National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 148th most-seen of the 227 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August to October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Migratory Grasshopper in Yosemite National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November to July, the lowest months. Those are among Yosemite National Park's driest months, with about 30 mm of rain a month against 220 mm in January.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Migratory Grasshopper sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Migratory Grasshopper sightings, Yosemite National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (Canada, about 10%).
Same family: Acrididae
The closest relatives of the Migratory Grasshopper that you can see in Yosemite National Park (family Acrididae, Short-horned Grasshoppers) are Crackling Forest Grasshopper (about 20%), Nevada Red-Winged Grasshopper (about 10%) and Fontana Grasshopper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Migratory Grasshopper is recorded against all the insects logged in Yosemite National Park (12 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.
