I ran into this creature unexpectedly. I wasn’t sure what it was at first because it was so large and I saw it fly. When did they start flying? I had never seen a grasshopper fly before.  Grasshoppers are part of the locust family. I couldn’t help but think about Biblical references to “plagues of locusts”. A swarm of these creatures could block the sun and eat all the vegetation in sight.

Beautiful red and black wings – they show up clearly on the video.