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Fact Sheets: Commonly Observed and Asked About Insects and Spiders Found in Alberta

Road Duster (Dissosteira carolina)

Road Duster
A reddish-brown form of the Road Duster
Credit: Terry Thormin
The Road Duster is well camouflaged on the ground
This Road Duster is well camouflaged on the grey ground
Credit: Terry Thormin

INTRODUCTION

This grasshopper, which is also called the Carolina Locust, is one of the largest and at times, in disturbed areas, one of the most obvious grasshoppers in Alberta. It is so well camouflaged that it seems to disappear when on the ground. In flight, however, it is very distinctive, having black hind wings with a broad pale yellow border.

IDENTIFICATION

This is one of the largest grasshoppers in Alberta, reaching lengths of 40 mm. On the ground it is well camouflaged, with colours ranging from pale tan to fairly dark reddish brown. In flight it is the only grasshopper in Alberta with black hind wings with a broad, pale yellow border.

DISTRIBUTION

This grasshopper is distributed throughout the United States and north through the southern half of Canada. It is found throughout the central and southern portions of the province of Alberta.

TIME OF YEAR

Adults tend to appear first in late July and will survive well into September

HABITAT AND HABITS

This is a grasshopper of disturbed areas, especially areas with some bare ground. It is often found in urban areas with such habitat. It feeds on a wide variety of grasses and forbs, and is usually not a pest species. At times, however, population levels can increase enough that it does become a pest. Then food plants may include tobacco, beans, alfalfa, corn, potato, and probably many more.

SIMILAR SPECIES

There are many species of grasshoppers in Alberta, far too many to start mentioning here, but none has the distinctive wing pattern of the Road Duster.

COMMENTS

People who contact us about this grasshopper are usually just curious, because it is such a large, distinctive looking grasshopper. John Acorn, in his book Bugs of Alberta, mentions that as a child he was fooled "more than once" into thinking this was a Mourning Cloak butterfly because of the similarity in wing patterns.

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 Last update: August 29 2008