Eastern Lubber Grasshopper: Facts Vs. Fiction

I became intrigued with the Eastern Lubber grasshopper after discovering dozens of nymphs crawling on my hibiscus bushes this past May. The black insects with a bright yellow stripe down their backs happily munched on the newly forming leaves for about four days then disappeared.

I began researching Eastern Lubber grasshoppers. Most of the information claimed I needed to kill the nymphs with insecticides. I'm not a big fan of killing anything and even less of a fan of using toxic chemicals, so I decided to allow Nature to run its course. Besides, the research stated that Eastern Lubbers "rarely occur in large enough numbers to warrant use of pesticides."

The Eastern Lubber grasshopper is a large and colorful insect with enormous eyes and rose colored wings. Eastern lubbers reside in the south and southeastern portion of the U.S. They are prevalent in Florida and Georgia, and can be found as far north as southern Tennessee and as far west as central Texas.

Adults can grow to lengths of 5-1/2-inches and females can produce up to 150 eggs per season. This species of grasshoppers can be rather intimidating and is known for causing severe damage to vegetable gardens, landscaping plants and citrus trees.

Although Eastern lubber grasshoppers have two sets of wings they are unable to fly. According to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the bright color of Eastern lubbers "is a warning to predators that the lubber contains toxic substances." Their toxins have been known to kill birds and can make small mammals violently ill.

Eastern lubber grasshoppers have another secret weapon for protection. They generate a foamy froth which consists of irritants and is sprayed from their thoracic region. When lubbers expel the froth they hiss loudly to frighten predators away.

Eastern lubbers are most notorious for their 'tobacco spit' which occurs from regurgitating consumed plants. If plants or crops are sprayed with chemicals, the spit can include toxins. When humans pick up Eastern lubbers they often spit, spray foam, and hiss. While the grasshopper's defense mechanisms are harmless to humans, the spit has a dark brown color that can easily stain clothing.

Eastern lubber grasshoppers get a bad rap in Florida. Gardeners claim they destroy everything in sight. Landscapers despise them because they will devour spider lilies, amaryllis, and hibiscus plants. Hours of research revealed no real use for them. Even entomologists can't come up with reason for their existence. The only predator brave enough to take on the fat bodied, brightly colored lubber is small bird known as the loggerhead shrike.

Adult Eastern lubbers are immune to nearly every pesticide known to man. The only way to eradicate them is to kill them during the nymph stage. Once they become an adult, the preferred method of destruction is to squish them with your feet. Eww!

Gardeners often cut the bodies of Eastern Lubbers in half, but these resilient insects have been known to continue eating for up to 24 hours after having their exoskeleton whacked and hacked.

Most people are intimidated by the subtropical grasshopper because of their size, hissing and spitting, but Eastern Lubbers don't bite and are fairly docile. However, they do have a spiny hind leg that can cut human skin.

I've named my Eastern lubber grasshopper, Harmless Hoppy. He often climbs the outside staircase and has greeted me at the door on several occasions. As long as he doesn't enter my home, I have no problem letting him wander and living out his life.

Sources:

AudubonGuides.com
University of Florida IFAS Extension PDF on Eastern Lubber Grasshopper Control
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
Wild Florida Creepy Crawly Creatures
Cornell Lab of Ornithology Loggerhead Shrike