The Eastern Lubber Grasshopper

Eastern lubbers are common in Central/Southern Florida. Eastern lubbers are common in Central/Southern Florida. This time of year, you may see many small black grasshoppers with neon yellow or orange markings. In July/August, these black nymphs will mature into colorful adults (pictured below).

They are often crawling on the ground or close to it, and don’t move very quickly. If you see one of these little critters, there are likely several more around. The young grasshoppers can be seen walking or climbing near the area where they hatched, and as they mature, they spread and can be found in virtually any habitat. Unfortunately, this habitat just might be your garden.

Diet

These critters dine on several plants, known as host plants. Plant families include shrubs, weeds, grasses, vegetables, fruits, legumes, ornamentals, and herbs. They can cause damage to foliage on ornamentals and food plants, especially in large groups. They strip, deflower, and eat holes into their host plant’s leaves.

Some of the more common plants they snack on are:  

• Amaryllis and plants in the Amaryllidaceae family
• arrowhead
• Cyperus spp.
• Phytolacca americana; pickerelweed
• pokeweed
• Pontedaria cordata; lizard’s tail
• Sagittaria spp.
• Saururus spp.; sedge

Ornamentals

Ornamentals that catch their eye include:

• oleander
• butterfly weed
• peregrina
• Mexican petunia
• cordyline
• lantana
• Amazon lily
• crinum
• narcissus

Fruits and Vegetables

They also have a taste for produce such as:

• peas
• lettuce
• kale
• beans
• cabbage
• tomato
• pepper
• celery
• okra
• fennel
• sweet corn
• citrus
• figs
• peaches

Weeds and Wild Plants

Weeds and wild plants where you may find them snacking include:

• painted leaf
• Poinsettia cyathophora; tread-softly
• Cnidoscolus stimulosus; chamber bitter
• Phyllanthus urinaria; Florida beggarweed
• Desmodium tortuosum; Old-world diamond-flower
• Oldenlandia corymbosa; Florida pusley
• Richardia scabra
• Digitaria ischaemum, smooth crabgrass

(EENY-006/IN132: Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, Romalea microptera (Beauvois) Insecta: Orthoptera: Acrididae))

Read the Series: 

• The Eastern Lubber Grasshopper: Behavior (Yard Pest: Have you seen me?)
• The Eastern Lubber Grasshopper: Diet
• The Eastern Lubber Grasshopper: Pest Control

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Read more

• Lubber Grasshoppers Subfamily Romaleinae 
• EENY-006/IN132: Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, Romalea microptera (Beauvois) (Insecta: Orthoptera: Acrididae)

More Resources

• The UF/IFAS Integrated Pest Management Website
• EDIS IPM Publications
• Integrated Pest Management Control Strategies
• Insect Pest Management on Turfgrass to prevent the improper use of pesticides.
• Managing Insecticide and Miticide Resistance in Florida Landscapes.

References

• UF/IFAS: Tips on Managing the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper Which Damages Plants, Citrus and Vegetables | WQCS
• EENY-006/IN132: Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, Romalea microptera (Beauvois) (Insecta: Orthoptera: Acrididae)
• Tachinid Fly | University of Maryland Extension
• Lamb, Maggie A., Daniel J. Otto, and Douglas W. Whitman. “Parasitism of Eastern Lubber Grasshopper by Anisia Serotina (Diptera: Tachinidae) in Florida.” The Florida Entomologist 82, no. 2 (1999): 365–71. https://doi.org/10.2307/3496593

Supervising agent: Dr. Whitney Elmore

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