EVERETT, Wash. — The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) urged the public to report sightings of oversized, striped-eyed grasshoppers that could be a pest to crops.
WSDA recently confirmed the first detection of the Egyptian grasshopper in Washington state, the department said Thursday in a blog post. An Everett resident reported the grasshopper to state entomologists earlier this year. That grasshopper was living but sluggish, according to WSDA.
“An overwintering grasshopper could easily hitchhike, so this is another case where we are asking the public to help us figure out if this is just a single specimen,” Sven Spichiger, WSDA managing entomologist, said in a statement.
Although there is not evidence of an established population in Washington state, WSDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are gathering information about the insect to determine its potential risk.
Egyptian grasshoppers are seen as a minor pest in their native habitats. However, they could be an occasional pest to crops, orchards and vineyards, according to WSDA.
The insect's eyes are the key to identifying Egyptian grasshoppers, entomologists said. The species has distinct black striping in the eyes that sets them apart from other grasshoppers.
Male Egyptian grasshoppers can be two inches long and females can be almost three inches long, according to WSDA. Adults are olive, gray or brown, and young grasshoppers are green and can blend in with vegetation.
The grasshoppers are most likely seen at the end of summer.
WSDA also plans to conduct visual surveys in the area where the previous grasshopper was found.
Residents who live near Everett should report possible sightings to pestprogram@agr.wa.gov. Email a photo of the insect and the location it was found for identification. If people see what they believe to be an Egyptian grasshopper outside Washington state, they should report those sightings to their state plant regulatory official or state plant health director.