Male adults are 24 to 46 mm long and females 57 to 66 mm long (Barrientos-Lozano, 2003). The medial pronotal carina is cut by three transversal sulcus;the posterior femur has black dots on the external upper part. The prosternal tuberculum is straight and smaller than in S. pallens. Nymphs and young adults possess a mild subocular fringe.
North American S. nitens can be characterized by tectiform pronotum and mottled tegmina.
Related invasive species
- Schistocerca nitens
Related Farm Practice
- Cuttings
S. nitens (Thunberg) is a short-horned grasshopper classified in the Family Acrididae. It is native to southwestern North America, Central America and northern South America. It was first reported as invasive in the Hawaiian archipelago in 1964 and is now present on all the main Hawaiian islands. S. nitens is solitary and non-migratory, but under certain conditions can form swarms or outbreaks and cause damage to crops and native plant species. In 2002 and 2004 outbreaks on the Hawaiian island of Nihoa posed a threat to all the vegetation on the island, particularly endangered plant species.
Richman et al. (1993) and Dirsh (1974) reported damage to Gossypium herbaceum (cotton), Medicago sativa (alfalfa), citrus and Musa acuminata (banana). Salas-Araiza et al. (2003) reported Casuarina sp., Helianthus sp., and Schinus sp. as plant hosts of S. nitens in Guanajuato, Mexico. In Hawaii, damage to sugarcane has been reported (Bowler et al., 1977). Dirsh (1974) reported cotton Gossypium sp. and alfalfa Medicago sativa as hosts of S. nitens. Latchininsky (2008) is one of the references that reported the plant species affected in the 2002-2004 outbreak in Nihoa Island, Hawaii.
USDA-ARS (1993) published a profile of S. nitens and reported plants in the Family Phorbeaceae, sugarcane and grapes as the most affected by S. nitens in New Mexico, USA. In California, S. nitens is a pest of grapes (Winkler et al., 1974). Cano-Santana et al. (2006) reported Croton as host plant on Isla Socorro, Revillagigedo Islands, Mexico.
Bianchi (1964) reported Ananas comosus (pineapple) and sugarcane Saccharum officinarum leaves as hosts in Hawaii.