This species of grasshopper is well-known due to its large size and use in biology classroom exercises. It occurs in large numbers in Florida and leads to the serious destruction of crops and citrus fruit plantations. For effective Lantana pest control, contact us today to address this issue and protect your crops.
The lubber moves by crawling and walking feebly. It gets its name from the way it moves clumsily and lazily over surfaces.
Description
Adults have varying, colorful patterns and may reach 3 inches in length. They are mostly yellow with some black on their antennae. Eastern lubbers have wings but cannot fly. They may jump over short distances, though.
Hobby horses have long hind legs, which make them capable of jumping up to 20 times their overall length. At maturity, they have black and orange antennae, a black body, and a length of 6 cm.
Plain lubbers can jump several feet into the air thanks to their powerful rear legs. They have reddish-brown bodies with greenish-brown marks. On their abdomens, there are light-colored spots. They are the smallest among the lubbers but still reach 5 cm in length as adults.
Lifecycle
Lubbers deposit around 40 eggs during the summer. The eggs begin to hatch underground over winter. In southeastern parts such as Florida, the hatching occurs earlier, while in western parts, it does not occur until late spring. The nymphs, which are wingless, crawl from the soil to look for food.
Young lubbers shed their exoskeleton in 15-day intervals as they cross into adulthood.
Feeding and habitat
Each lubber variant has its own taste when it comes to feeding on the natural environment. They will, however, cause damage to our treasured greenery. Eastern lubbers dwell on roadsides and open pinewoods. They prefer ornamental plants, vegetables, and citrus foliage.
Horse lubbers keep it to the oak woods and grasslands, perennial shrub foliage, and prairies.
Plain lubbers chill in field edges and also in the prairies. They adore sunflower plants and feed on various glasses as side foods too.
Southeastern lubbers hang around the garden, munching on vegetables and ornamental plants.
Defenses
They can defend themselves in numerous ways. With their bright coloration, predators are warned to keep off from their poisonous shells. Some substances consumed from plants may kill small birds that try to feed on them.
If the color patterns are ignored by a predator, the lubbers expel a noxious foam onto the predator or even a human nuisance. For effective pest control Lantana, contact us today.
Controlling lubber grasshoppers
Chemicals cannot help beyond the nymph stage. A few insecticides can be used on fruits, vegetables, and ornamentals, though they are not approved for orchids. They might be well controlled by hand since most of them move slowly and are not harmful to humans. For expert assistance, trust our pest control Lantana FL services.
Orchid farmers prefer squashing them up using brooms or machetes.
