Idaho Point-headed Grasshopper Inventory and Survey - Bureau of Land Management Idaho Falls District 2010 Final Report

The Idaho point-headed grasshopper (Acrolophitus pulchellus) (IPG) is a rare Idaho endemic known to occur in xeric shrublands of Idaho’s Birch Creek and Big Lost River drainages. The species is known from only 17 records dating from 1883 to 1993. Surveys conducted in 2002- 2003 failed to detect IPGs, leading to speculation that the species was extinct. Due to the lack of essential information on distribution and status, the IPG is designated as an Idaho Species of Greatest Conservation Need and a Bureau of Land Management Type 2 Sensitive Species. The purpose of our project was to survey public lands within the known range of this species to demonstrate, if possible, its extant status, evaluate habitat composition and condition at historical sites of collection, and assess its general conservation status.