Maine has 35 species of grasshoppers, according to the Maine Entomological Society. I find identifying our hoppers very difficult and photographing them in action almost impossible.
I would love to be able to boast that this image shows a grasshopper hopping at me. However, it wasn’t hopping – it landed on my windshield as I was driving off-road; I stopped, took out my iPhone and snapped an image of it from the driver’s seat; later, I took out the background (and the dirt on the windshield) while editing. I think it’s a red-legged grasshopper (Melanoplus femurrubrum).
In doing some research, it appears that one of the frequently-asked insect questions is “What is the difference between grasshoppers and locusts?” It turns out that there is no difference: locusts are short-horned grasshoppers that have the special ability to transform from loners like other grasshoppers into swarmers that get together for protection when they’re under stress and have to migrate. Scarcity of food or loss of habitat can cause them to swarm.
I think that’s a Carolina locust (Dissosteira carolina) above; you’ll have to look closely for the short horns. (Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on September 10 [red-leg?] and 12 [locust?], 2025.)