The arrival of the horse lubber grasshopper signals the change of season from summer to fall in southern Arizona. The large, brightly colored grasshoppers appear in September with equally large appetites. Last year they managed to turn my iris into coleslaw. They munch on everything from flowers to foliage to seed pods. bugguide.net The oddly colored insect with its bright greens and yellows is one of the largest grasshoppers.They sport pink coloring under their wings. The markings on their face resemble a bridle hence their Latin name, Taeniopoda eques (eques - horse rider). The bright colors warn predators that they don't taste good and may be poisonous. That's always a plus if you're a bug. Their size is a bit daunting and they can reach a length of 2.5 inches. It's common to see battalions of horse lubbers marching across country roads this time of year and being crunched under tires of passing vehicles. It's sort of like the lemmings jumping into t...
Positively encouraging