Clear-winged Grasshopper--Camnula pellucida - Oregon Wild

Clear-winged Grasshopper--Camnula pellucida
Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge’s—“2012 Spotlight Species”
Visitors to the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) in southern Oregon and northern
California http://www.fws.gov/klamathbasinrefuges/areamap.html thrill to see tens of thousands of
geese and waterfowl during the peak of their spring and fall migrations. This summer, a lesser
known, but equally amazing wildlife spectacle awaits visitors to the Klamath Marsh NWR. This
summer’s refuge focus “spotlight species” may well be the Klamath Marsh’s clear-winged
grasshopper (Camnula pellucida). The Klamath Marsh NWR, the most northern unit of the
Klamath Basin’s six refuges, and has been known historically for periodic and cyclic hatches of
this native wildlife invertebrate.
Clear-Winged Grasshopper (Camnula pellucida)
Not seen on the Klamath Marsh in close to “Biblical”
proportions in this century, insect and other wildlife
enthusiasts may now to the sight of clouds of grasshoppers
flying just ahead of you as you stroll through refuge
grassland meadows. Recently, the USDA Animal and Plant
Inspection Service (APHIS) forecasted that many thousands
of grasshoppers may be viewable here this summer despite
a pesticide treatment program to be conducted on private
and adjoining National Wildlife Refuge lands in July.
In 2010 the Klamath Marsh NWR adopted a management
plan stating:
Photocredit:: Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food
and Rural Revitalization
“Clear-winged grasshoppers are part of the Refuge’s biological integrity and
diversity, thus the control or elimination of natural outbreaks of this species
is not necessary for the Refuge to achieve its habitat objectives. In addition
to providing an important food source to many species of wildlife, grasshoppers
provide a potentially long-term benefit to plant production by increasing nutrient
cycling, similar to the impacts of fire. However, political pressure associated
with economic impacts to private lands surrounding the Refuge will likely
necessitate continued control to prevent significant hatches on Refuge
lands.”
APHIS, backed by local ranching interests, have long pressured refuge managers to participate in
its “grasshopper treatment program”. However this year, and unlike in decades past, the refuge
is showing some restraint and insisting on only treating particular identified “hot spots” . Once
thousands more acres were extensively sprayed with pesticides. However, in the second week in
July 2012 the refuge is permitting APHIS to “treat” 3.5%, or 1450 acres of its total 40,646 acres
with carbaryl bait. (Carbaryl is considered by some to be preferential to APHIS’s other choice

which is a pesticide known as Dimilin. Dimilin is a broad spectrum agent that kills many insect
species (including natural enemies of grasshoppers.)
Contact the refuge, to learn where best to observe refuge and area grasshoppers that
survive as winged adults, and to also possibly express tepid support of their decision to
do more minimal pesticide treatments--Klamath Marsh NWR, HC 63 Box 303, Chiloquin, OR
97624 541-783-3380; and/or Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges Route 1, Box 74 Tulelake,
California 96134 530-667-2231
Additional Background on Clear-winged Grasshoppers: Birds and other wildlife species take
advantage of what nature provides that is nourishing and available to them. Besides the vast
array of bird attracted by clear-winged grasshoppers, other vertebrates species including mice,
shrews, gophers and badgers all eat grasshoppers and their egg pods. Coyotes, skunks, lizards,
snakes, toads, bobcats and foxes also eat both nymphs and adults. Birds, especially gulls and
meadowlarks, have even been attributed with stopping grasshopper hatches in other parts of the
country. Many birds scratch up the egg cases, and have been credited with clearing from 5 to
150 acres of grasshopper egg pods. This is more likely to happen when a habitat area provides
food and refuge for the birds.
Both cattle and grasshoppers eat grass. However it is the cows that are
the Klamath Marsh’s largest exotic, non-native species.
While, in theory, farm and ranch areas could create habitats more attractive to birds to encourage
predation on grasshoppers—they seldom do. Thus, our National Wildlife Refuges are ideally the
best dependable places to provide essential habitats for all vertebrate and invertebrate wildlife
species--while also providing a place for the public to experience these remarkable winged
wildlife displays. There is no refuge purpose served by destroying natural, cyclic grasshopper
populations.
During a prior grasshopper hatch a decade ago, the Oregonian (Aug. 28, 2002) quoted a
former Klamath Marsh NWR manager:
“Grasshoppers also eat many weed plants and are an important food source for many
animals. Walter Ford, manager of the Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, said
flocks of ravens, hawks, cranes, blackbirds and other marsh birds are happily feasting
on the grasshoppers. ‘We don’t have the same concern that the ranchers do,’ Ford said.

‘We can tolerate higher levels of grasshoppers. But we feel to be good neighbors, we
have to consider treatment options.”
Distinguishing Characteristics. The adults are yellowish to brownish in color and approximately
21-32 mm (0.8 to 1.3 inches) in length. Their wings are clear but mottled with dark patches and
they have two stripes beginning at the thorax and converging at the tip of the forewings.
The newly hatched young, body length 4.2 to 5.5 mm, are remarkably colored black with a
distinctive white band encircling the thorax.
Camnula pellucida nymph and egg pod with loose eggs. University of Wyoming
Habitat -- The clear-winged grasshopper prefers to lay its eggs in sod on road allowances,
overgrazed pastures and dried out marshy areas. Congregation of the adults during egg laying may
result in as many as 10,000 or more eggs per square meter. (Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food &
Rural Revitalization)
Food Supply . The clear-winged grasshopper is primarily a grass feeder that prefers cereal
grains and some of the more succulent cultivated grasses. It seldom feeds on broad-leaved
plants. Large pastures of native grasses are usually only infested around their margins where
cultivated fields are close by. (Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food & Rural Revitalization)
Best viewing times: The clear-winged grasshopper, a diurnal insect, is active during the day
and inactive at night--in sheltered places protected from the cold. As the morning sun warms the
habitat, the grasshoppers slowly crawl from their hiding places and seek sunny positions
aggregating on bare soil, earth clods, and dried cattle dung. (University of Wyoming)
In previous years clear-winged grasshoppers have been readily viewable at the Klamath
Marsh NWR boundary along the Silver Lake Hwy. approximately 5 miles east of Hwy. 97.
Masses of winged adults can also sometimes be viewed on the east side of the refuge at
Abraham Flat, or in fields where the Military Road (to the north) crosses the refuge’s
middle, western boundary.
For more information see ODA grasshopper webpage,
http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/PLANT/IPPM/gh_ea12.shtml.