Horse Lubber Grasshopper (Romaleidae)

This photo was taken near the Costa Rica Volcano Arenal.  I think, but not positive, it is a horse lubber (Romaleidae) grasshopper; just one of about 660 species of grasshoppers found in North America according to BugGuide.  What ever it is about 20 of them were doing a heck of a job devouring this plant in a garden at the Rural Methodist Center in northern Costa Rica.

Scientists who study and classify grasshoppers break the families down further into separate genera, with lubbers comprising seven. Each genus has at least one species.

Horse lubber grasshoppers belong to the species eques of the genus Taeniopoda.  In the United States they inhabit the states of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas with their range continuing through Mexico to Costa Rica.  The bright lines on the sides of their head resemble a horse's head with a bridle thus explaining their name eques which is Latin for horse.  They feed on shrubs and weeds in mostly desert areas.