Pollinators Meet Grasshopper & Mormon Cricket Management Webinar & Resources
- pollinators1
- Jul 17
- 2 min read
You might be repelled by grasshoppers or Mormon crickets, but can you take a moment to learn about their surprising ecological value within western ecosystems?
Sharon Selvaggio with the Xerces Society will discuss what’s problematic with the large programs to stamp down these native insects, the threats insecticides pose to pollinators and other beneficial bugs, and solutions across landscapes and for the home garden. Li Murphy with the Yale School of the Environment will discuss her ongoing research into human and Mormon cricket interactions in Nevada and other western states.
Sharon's Slides: Pollinators Meet Grasshopper and Mormon Cricket Management in Colorado and the West
Sharon's Question: In your experience, are Colorado native plants more resistant to grasshoppers?
Attendee Responses
The only plants I have in my gardens that they [grasshoppers] won't feast on are blanket flower, penstemon, and echinacea.
Grasshoppers ate my yarrow last year, but this year aren't so far. But there were less grasshoppers this year. In the heaviest years they've eaten everything-echinacea, elecampane, yarrow, sage, St John Wort, marshmallow, lavender, calendula, marigolds.
Grasshoppers are still present but I think their browsing may be less noticeable. We have fine texture plants and smaller leaves in our grassland and dryland gardens typically.
Li's Story Map, Mormon Crickets: Coexistence and Control in the Great Basin
Thank you to our speakers!
Sharon Selvaggio is a pesticide reduction specialist with The Xerces Society, a conservation organization working to protect the natural world through the conservation of invertebrates. Sharon leads Xerces’ work in seeking sustainable solutions for grasshopper and Mormon cricket management, especially on public lands.
Sharon spent 27 years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service, working as a wildlife biologist, conservation planner and refuge manager, and received her M.S. in energy and resources and BA in biology from University of California.
Li Murphy is a Master’s student in the Yale School of the Environment, focusing on the social and ecological dynamics of insect-human interactions. She is currently working on a project about Mormon crickets in the Intermountain West. She holds a BA degree in biology and geology from Harvard University.
