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Spring is in the air folks! The sun is out, the flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping, and at Pacific Science Center the eastern lubbers are hopping! Yes folks, this spring we have hatched our very own baby eastern lubber grasshoppers (Romalea guttata). This is the first time that this species has been able to reproduce within our exhibit, so we’re watching them closely and with much excitement.
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Grasshoppers are fun to look at on exhibit, but not an insect that we would like to add to Seattle’s outdoor animal population. As with all of our insect species, their bedding, food and cage are maintained following strict containment protocol. Perhaps more than any other animal we care for, it is easy to understand this need with grasshoppers: They move fast and eat a wide range of plants. We remind our readers to never release any non-native insects into the wild, even accidentally, by composting cage material that may contain eggs. [See our earlier article, "Stick Bug Amnesty." –ed]
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A reminder of the havoc that grasshopper species can cause in our region is highlighted in a recent article from the Seattle Times. The challenges of dealing with grasshoppers are compounded by the fact that there are a number of species, each adapted to different conditions. Richard Zack, from Washington State University’s Department of Entomology, listed the following: the bigheaded grasshopper (Aulocara elliotti), the clearwinged grasshopper (Camnula pellucida), the two-striped grasshopper (Melanoplus bivittatus), the redlegged grasshopper (Melanoplus femurrubrum), the migratory grasshopper (Melanoplus sanguinipes), and the valley grasshopper (Oedaleonotus enigma). Professor Zack commented, “Each can be a problem. They will vary on where you are looking and the year.”
Let's all agree - the last thing we want to do is add an invasive species to that list!
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