The Eastern Lubber Grasshopper

Here’s another spring visitor we see year after year: the eastern lubber grasshopper (Romalea microptera). You may have seen the nymphs, or immature grasshoppers, crowding on a shrub in your landscape. They are usually black with yellow or red stripes and have no wings. Adult lubbers can be up to 3 inches long and yellow with various black markings. Adults have wings, but cannot fly. They can jump short distances, however, and may even make a hissing sound when distressed. While the lubber may cause some cosmetic damage to some ornamentals, it is not usually necessary to treat with chemical control. The good old “stomp and squish” method will come in handy here. You should have increased success by destroying or removing them before they become adults, thus preventing them from laying eggs.

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