Mormon Cricket Migratory Swarm
Anabrus simplex
The Mormon cricket (Anabrus simplex) is a large insect that can grow to almost 8 cm (3 inches) in length. It lives throughout western North America in rangelands dominated by sagebrush and forbs. Despite its name, the Mormon cricket is actually a shieldbacked katydid. It takes its name from Mormon settlers in Utah, who encountered them while pushing westward, and for the prominent role they play in the miracle of the gulls.[1]
Although flightless, the Mormon cricket is capable of traveling up to two kilometers a day[2] in its swarming phase, during which it is a serious agricultural pest and traffic hazard.
Dinosaur National Monument
Colorado
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