Anabrus simplex
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The Mormon cricket (Anabrus simplex) is a large insect native to western North America in rangelands dominated by sagebrush and forbs. Anabrus is a genus in the shield-backed katydid subfamily in the Tettigoniidae family, commonly called katydids, bush crickets, and previously "long-horned grasshoppers". Its common name, "Mormon cricket", is a misnomer: true crickets are of the family Gryllidae.
The Mormon cricket takes its common name from the prominent role it played in the story of the miracle of the gulls after the Mormon settlers in Utah had encountered them while pushing westward. Although flightless, the Mormon cricket may travel up to two kilometres a day in its swarming phase during which it may be a serious agricultural pest and sometimes a traffic hazard.
Mormon crickets can grow to almost 8 cm (3 inches) in length. Individuals vary in coloration: the overall color may be black, brown, red, purple or green. The pronotum, the dorsal "shield" above the prothorax, covers vestigial wings); in some specimens it bears colored markings. The abdomen may have a striped appearance. Like many Tettigoniidae, females have a long ovipositor, which should not be mistaken... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mormon Cricket sighting in Yosemite National Park on a given day, based on 41 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 53rd most-seen of the 227 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.
October
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Mormon Cricket in Yosemite National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November to June, the lowest months. That is one of Yosemite National Park's driest months, with about 45 mm of rain against 220 mm in January.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mormon Cricket 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 Mormon Cricket sightings, Yosemite National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Grand Teton National Park (United States, about 30%), Yellowstone National Park (United States, about 20%) and Glacier National Park (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Mormon Cricket is recorded against all the insects logged in Yosemite National Park (41 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.
