The Mormon cricket is actually not a true cricket, but rather a shield-backed katydid. The common name derives from an invasion of the crops of Mormon settlers in the Salt Lake area in the mid-1800s.
We ran across plenty of these katydids on a recent hike although not in the numbers depicted in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy3dQJYquoY. While these insects can be quite destructive to crops they do eat the grasses and plants in natural rangelands much as large grazing mammals do (or did). I also find them quite interning to look at as each has subtle color variations.
Given these were not marching across our hiking trail in plague proportions I enjoyed seeing them on a late fall afternoon moving through the already dry grasses.
nature has no boss 
They are a weird ‘Mad Max’ insect.
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Hi Jim, yes like spartan warriors and spacemen aliens all rolled into one.
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Cool blue color… they remind me a bit of Muppets. 😀
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Perhaps an new character in the next muppet show…the Mr. cricket.
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🙂
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Great colours on these beasties.
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Indeed, and they are all a bit unique in coloration. and that makes for fun cricket watching.
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shudder…
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no worries they are only photos.
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LOL!
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SO cool….
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HI, yes these guys are fun to see. I bet farmers who have to deal with occasional swaps would not feel the same but hey… they are cool.
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Beautiful…
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Hi and thanks. They sure are interesting insects to observe. Each one fairly different in color. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
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