Grasshopper Harvesting & Sales in Uganda

Grasshoppers are seasonally harvested from the wild in Uganda. Check out this video that details the harvesting process and also the sales channel. 

https://youtu.be/9PuTBZ9ZIxg

Schistocerca americana nymphs hatch

There have been struggles recently with consistent hatches. After speaking with several entomologists, I began to follow of different hatching protocol for Schistocerca americana egg pods. Today was the day the first egg pod was supposed to hatch and it happened right on time. Several dozen nymphs have hatched and more are on the way.  

Schistocerca americana nymph

This one container holds 3 or 4 egg pods. This is the first one to hatch and the first one laid. So there should be several more hundred that will hatch from this container in the coming days.

The above video shows the newly hatched nymphs in their new home. The following video shows a side view of the egg pod container. Hatching nymphs can be seen (they are bright green) below the surface in the cavity left by the egg pod.

Work also continues on M. differentialis, but for now the focus of production will be on S. americana. 

Melanoplus differentialis egg pods

Thoptera has been working hard to harvest a large amount of egg pods from the first generation captive grasshoppers. Dozens of Melanoplus differentialis were wild caught in northwest Tennessee late last summer into the fall (2019). Those grasshoppers mated in captivity and deposited egg pods. Those egg pods were hatched during the winter indoors. After having over 200 adults almost ready to begin egg laying, we were struck with a fatal error that wiped out our breeding stock to 100 in number. These remaining grasshoppers have grown large after lots of experimentation with lighting, temperature, and feed. They are now laying eggs pods with gusto.

Egg pods in individual cups. 

According to literature, each Melanoplus differentialis pod should contain around 100 eggs depending on the size of the pod. We are conducting our own experiments by placing each pod into its own incubation cup. This will allow for testing of different incubation and hatching protocol, and also to gather data about hatching rates.

Keeping track of each egg pod as it goes from being deposited until hatching. 

If all goes well, Thoptera should see mass hatching begin to occur in late June well into July. Anyone in the market for grasshoppers?

Egg pod typical size thus far.

Grasshopper Feeding Time

I have been growing several different types of grasses for the grasshoppers to feed on. This spring I planted milo, sudan grass, and wheat in my family's garden. I know that Melanoplus differentialis enjoy eating sudan grass since that is what I feed the wild caught insects last fall until frost.

Grasshopper feed right out of the garden.

 The grasshoppers really enjoyed some fresh produce straight from the garden. I am sure it was a welcomed treat considering they usually are fed romaine lettuce grown somewhere on the west coast of the U.S. I cut the trio of grasses and took them right in to feed to the hoppers. Talk about a fresh meal.

Thoptera

It's official.... Thoptera now has a website. www.thoptera.com Thanks to my business partner for setting that up and also for the cool new email address: john@grasshopper.farm How cool is that?!?!

Still been feeding grasshoppers everyday and hatching some new ones. Things should explode exponentially in the coming months. Still much experimentation, with more to come in the months ahead. The initial batch that was hatched in December is now beginning to breed and lay eggs. Here are a few photos of those.

I believe they are Melanoplus differentialis (Differential grasshoppers). I think I have a few Schistocerca americana as well in captivity. Some of the nymphs may be of that type as well. As they grow, it will be easier for a non-entomologist (like me) to identify them. 

I have noticed that these have not gotten as large as their parents, who were caught wild in the Fall (2019). I suspect that the diet and lighting may be the culprits. I will need to tinker more with lighting to see if that helps. I hope to have a greenhouse type structure, at least a building is many windows on the South side of the structure, to give them plenty of natural light year round. Light in the wintertime will need to be supplumented.

There is a major locust outbreak in Africa going on currently.