WILD ABOUT TEXAS: Horse lubber grasshopper's colors serve as protection

When one is in the field observing the natural world, occasionally something looks like it doesn't belong. Such is the case with a strikingly colored grasshopper that calls the dry portions of the Trans-Pecos its home.

The horse lubber (Taeniopoda eques) is one of the largest and most distinctively colored grasshoppers in this area. It naturally takes up residence from southern California eastward to Central Texas and can be quite common in the Trans-Pecs eco-region during the normal monsoonal rains. It appears slightly less commonly throughout the remainder of its Texas range.

Horse lubbers are grasshoppers, and like other insects, they have three body parts: head, thorax and abdomen. Each part has a specific purpose, with the head housing the eyes and feeding appendages, the thorax attached to the legs and wings, and the abdomen housing the majority of internal organs. Also like other insects, its skeletal structure is on the outside of its body, a structure known as an exoskeleton. Horse lubbers have six legs, two pairs of wings and two antennae.

This particular species of grasshopper is quite attractive, with a shiny black body adorned with bright yellow bands and flecks. Three characteristics separate this species from other grasshoppers in this area: the black head with a yellow line that runs diagonally from the crown to the mouth parts, also known as the mandibles; the yellow V that runs from the front legs to the center of the thorax; and the bright red underside of the black and yellow flecked wings.

While this brilliant color pattern makes the animal to stand out in its habitat, it also aids in its protection. In the animal world, these colors generally signify a bitter taste, and studies have shown this is the case with this species.

Males and females are sexually dimorphic, which means they have different morphological characteristics. Males are the smaller sex, attaining a body length of just under 2 inches, while the females are somewhat larger, reaching lengths of up to 2.5 inches. Males also have longer wings, which extend to the end of their abdomen, while females' wings barely extend past the thorax region. Therefore, females are grounded while males can fly, and it is then that the red-colored underwings are visible.

Living in the desert heat can present challenges for diurnal (day-active) animals. The first challenge is locating food. This species has adapted to feed on a variety of plant life, including many plants that have been determined to be toxic. Another challenge for most desert animals is avoiding predation by larger animals. As mentioned earlier, this grasshopper is adorned with the brilliant colors that state "I taste bad!" Therefore, most predators that test whether this is true rarely do so again.

The last challenge desert animals face is the heat. The day-active horse lubber has adapted a variety of behaviors to overcome this challenge. One of the strangest activities is the usage of its wings. As daytime temperatures rise, this species opens its wings to allow air to pass over its body. When this is no longer effective, it uses its wings as a fan, beating them quickly for short bursts over its body.


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