Best Plants for Supporting Shorthorned Grasshopper Populations

Shorthorned grasshoppers (family Acrididae) are a diverse group of insects found across many ecosystems worldwide. These grasshoppers play a vital role in their habitats, serving as both herbivores and prey for numerous animals. Supporting healthy populations of shorthorned grasshoppers is essential for maintaining balanced ecosystems, especially in grasslands, prairies, and agricultural landscapes.

One of the most effective ways to support shorthorned grasshopper populations is through habitat management, particularly by planting vegetation that meets their dietary and shelter needs. This article explores the best plants for supporting shorthorned grasshopper populations, covering native grasses, forbs, and shrubs that provide food sources and suitable microhabitats.

Understanding Shorthorned Grasshoppers’ Needs

Before diving into plant species, it’s important to understand the biological and ecological requirements of shorthorned grasshoppers:

Diet: These grasshoppers are primarily herbivorous and feed on a variety of grasses and broadleaf plants (forbs). Different species may prefer different plants, but most show a preference for native grasses.
Shelter: Grasshoppers need vegetative cover to protect themselves from predators and extreme weather conditions.
Reproduction: Bare or lightly vegetated soil patches are often necessary for egg laying.

Microclimate: Warm, sunny locations with moderate moisture are ideal.

Planting a diversity of native grasses and flowering plants creates an environment where shorthorned grasshoppers can thrive by fulfilling all these requirements.

Native Grasses to Support Shorthorned Grasshoppers

Native warm-season and cool-season grasses offer excellent nutrition and habitat for shorthorned grasshopper species. They not only serve as food sources but also provide shelter and oviposition sites.

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

Big bluestem is a dominant warm-season prairie grass native to North America. It grows tall, sometimes reaching 6 to 8 feet, offering ample shelter from predators.

Benefits: High nutritional value; provides dense cover.
Habitat: Prefers well-drained soils; thrives in prairies and open woodlands.

Role: Many shorthorned grasshopper species feed on its leaves and stems.

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

A shorter warm-season grass, little bluestem grows 2 to 4 feet tall with fine-textured foliage.

Benefits: Provides excellent cover and diversity; complements big bluestem.

Habitat: Adaptable to a wide range of soil types including dry or sandy soils.
Role: Important food source; especially attractive to species preferring finer grasses.

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

Switchgrass is another warm-season perennial that grows tall and forms dense stands.

Benefits: Nutritionally rich; offers structural complexity.
Habitat: Found in prairies, meadows, and along stream banks.
Role: Supports both juvenile and adult stages of many shorthorned grasshoppers.

Western Wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii)

A cool-season bunchgrass common in western North America.

Benefits: Provides early season forage; remains green longer into fall.
Habitat: Prefers well-drained soils in open areas.

Role: Important early food source when other plants are less available.

Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis)

This short warm-season grass is drought tolerant and widespread in plains ecosystems.

Benefits: Thrives under dry conditions; provides ground-level cover.

Habitat: Prairies, rangelands, dry hillsides.
Role: Preferred by some shorthorned species for feeding and egg laying near soil surface.

Forbs That Enhance Habitat Quality

Forbs—herbaceous flowering plants—complement grasses by providing additional nutrients, pollen sources, and diverse microhabitats. Many shorthorned grasshoppers consume forbs either exclusively or alongside grasses.

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

A perennial forb known for its distinctive purple flowers.

Benefits: Source of nectar attracting beneficial insects; leaves consumed by some grasshopper species.
Habitat: Prairies, roadsides, open fields.

Role: Enhances plant diversity; supports overall insect biodiversity which indirectly benefits grasshoppers by stabilizing ecosystems.

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Another popular native prairie forb with bright yellow flowers.

Benefits: Provides cover; used as food by various insect herbivores.

Habitat: Dry to mesic prairies; open woodlands.
Role: Improves habitat heterogeneity necessary for multiple life stages of grasshoppers.

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Milkweed serves as a key host plant for caterpillars but is also grazed upon by generalist feeders like some shorthorned grasshoppers.

Benefits: High protein content; supports insects throughout growing season.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, disturbed areas.
Role: Adds structural diversity; attracts pollinators enhancing the ecosystem’s health.

Western Sunflower (Helianthus occidentalis)

This forb grows tall with sunflower-like blooms attracting pollinators while serving as food plants for multiple insect species.

Benefits: Seeds provide food resources; foliage eaten by generalist herbivores.
Habitat: Prairies, open woodlands.

Role: Supports biodiversity which can buffer against pest outbreaks harmful to grasshopper populations.

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

A mounding perennial wildflower with aromatic leaves often consumed by herbivorous insects.

Benefits: Nectar source for pollinators; foliage attractive to some foliovores.

Habitat: Prairies, meadows.
Role: Adds floral resources encouraging insect diversity supporting balanced food webs.

Shrubs Providing Shelter and Microhabitats

While grasses and forbs make up the bulk of the diet of shorthorned grasshoppers, incorporating some native shrubs into landscapes can benefit them indirectly by creating structural complexity that offers refuge from predators and harsh weather conditions.

Prairie Rose (Rosa arkansana)

A low-growing shrub with thorny stems providing protective cover.

Benefits: Dense thickets serve as refuges; flowers support pollinators that contribute to ecosystem health.
Habitat: Prairies, open woodlands.

Role: Microhabitats near shrubs increase survival rates of juvenile grasshoppers.

Sand Cherry (Prunus pumila)

A small shrub growing often in sandy soils offering both shelter and occasional forage material.

Benefits: Dense growth habit protects from wind and sun exposure.

Habitat: Sandy prairies, dunes.
Role: Important in xeric environments where it moderates microclimate conditions beneficial to insects.

Managing Plant Communities for Optimal Grasshopper Support

Simply planting individual species isn’t enough. To create a thriving habitat for shorthorned grasshoppers:

Promote Plant Diversity: A mixture of native grasses, forbs, and shrubs supports different life stages and dietary preferences across various species within the family Acrididae.
Maintain Patchiness: Avoid overly uniform vegetation. Patchy areas with bare ground interspersed among vegetation provide ideal egg-laying habitats.
Limit Herbicide Use: Chemicals can reduce food supply directly or indirectly harm non-target insects like grasshoppers.

Create Sunlit Openings: Many shorthorned grasshoppers prefer sunny habitats because they are ectothermic (rely on external heat sources).
Mimic Natural Disturbances: Controlled burns or light grazing can help maintain the structure of plant communities favorable to these insects without excessive disruption.

The Ecological Importance of Supporting Shorthorned Grasshopper Populations

Supporting healthy populations of shorthorned grasshoppers benefits broader ecosystems:

They serve as prey for birds (such as meadowlarks), small mammals (like mice), reptiles (such as lizards), and predatory insects (like robber flies).
Their feeding activity helps control plant growth dynamics, influencing nutrient cycling within soils.
They aid in seed dispersal through movement across habitats.

By fostering environments rich in native grasses, flowering plants, and protective shrubs tailored for shorthorned grasshopper needs, land managers can promote biodiversity while maintaining ecosystem resilience against environmental challenges like drought or invasive species encroachment.

Conclusion

The best plants for supporting shorthorned grasshopper populations are those that offer a blend of nutritious food sources and suitable microhabitats. Native prairie grasses such as big bluestem, little bluestem, switchgrass, western wheatgrass, and blue grama form a strong foundation. Complementary forbs like purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, milkweed, western sunflower, and wild bergamot add nutritional variety while enhancing habitat complexity. Incorporating native shrubs like prairie rose and sand cherry can further improve shelter opportunities needed especially during harsh weather or predation risk periods.

Creating diverse plant communities tailored toward these needs ensures sustainable support not only for shorthorned grasshoppers but also the myriad other organisms that depend on them within healthy ecosystem networks. Through thoughtful plant selection combined with good habitat management practices such as promoting patchiness and natural disturbance regimes, we can effectively sustain thriving populations of these vital insects into the future.