Two-Striped Grasshopper (Melanoplus bivittatus)

I’d like to introduce you to the Two-Striped Grasshopper (Melanoplus bivittatus), and not in frequent visitor to our vegetable garden and lawns. 

Although not perfectly captured in my photograph, the distinctive patterning of this grasshopper — two bold yellow stripes running from the eyeballs to the wingtips — has given it a descriptive name that makes identification easy.

The two-striped grasshopper is considered a nuisance in the garden because it is omnivorous (actually polyphagous to be accurate), but I’ve never noticed too much of a problem. Apparently periodic population outbreaks can dramatically increase the damage wrought by these aesthetically intriguing insects, but we’ve never experienced that. Perhaps we’ve been fortunate. Hopefully we’ll continue that streak.

Or if we’re overcome with a scourge of two-striped grasshoppers, we can always try out this recipe (adapted from butter to ghee to be dairy free) published by the USDA as part of a broader vision for pest management. 

Garlic & Ghee Fried Grasshoppers

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
6 cloves garlic
1 cup cleaned insects

Directions: Melt butter in fry pan. Reduce heat. Saute garlic in butter for 5 minutes. Add insects. Continue sauteing for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

(Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture)