Pasture Locust

Orphulella speciosa occurs east of the Rocky Mountain region all the way to the Coast of the Atlantic. It also occurs in the southern region of Canada and in the northern region of Mexico. O. speciosa inhabits areas of tallgrass and mixed grass prairies, often preferring areas of shorter grass that are interspersed throughout the prairie plant matrix, including grasses that have been grazed upon by larger animals. At the southern end of the range (e.g., in Texas), adult O. speciosa are most abundant during August to October, with fewer adults present from May to December. In the northern extent of its range (e.g., New England) adult O. speciosa are most abundant during the months of July and August.