The insects which were responsible for the Grasshopper plagues in the 1870's were actually Rocky Mountain locusts. Their scientific name was Caloptenus spretus. Here is a drawing of one from the 1877 Federal Entomologist's Report:

 

 Here is a scan from the same publication that shows the Rocky Mountain Locust in various life stages:

  Visit our other pages to learn more about the Grasshopper Plagues: 

Rocky Mountain Locust Natural History	Grasshopper Gathering Equipment
Actual Missouri Accounts	Grasshoppers and a Sense of Humor
Destitute Settlers	Were they all bad?
Grasshoppers and Trains	Do we still have Grasshopper Plagues?
Missouri Legislation	What can we learn from the Grasshopper Plagues?
Damage Estimates and Restitution	Grasshopper Plague links