[Aim]  To clarify the species diversity and distribution of grasshoppers in natural grasslands in the upper and middle reaches of the Shiyang River Basin. [Methods]  Grasshoppers on different types of grasslands were captured using nets in the upper and middle reaches of the Shiyang River Basin from June to August 2023-2024. [Results]  A total of 7 216 grasshoppers, belonging to 7 families, 22 genera, and 43 species were captured, including Sphingonotus salinus, a new record for Gansu Province. Oedipodiae was the dominant family (7 genera and 15 species), followed by Arcypteridae (4 genera and 12 species), Pamphagidae (3 genera and 6 species), Catantopidae (2 genera and 4 species), Gomphoceridae (3 genera and 3 species), Acrididae (2 genera and 2 species), and Tetrigidae with just 1 genus and 1 species. Most species were of  Oedipodidae and Arcypteridae, which accounted for 62.8% of the total. The number of species was highest on temperate steppe (4 families, 12 genera and 22 species), accounting for 51.2% of all species, followed by the temperate steppe desert (6 families, 13 genera, and 20 species), accounting for 46.5% of all species. The least number of species was captured on alpine meadows; only 3 families, 6 genera and 12 species, accounting for 27.9% of the total. Except for temperate desert, Chorthippus albonemus and Chorthippus brunneus were widely distributed on all seven types of grasslands, but the dominant species differed with habitat. The highest similarity coefficient, 0.73, was found between the grasshoppers communities of temperate desert steppe and temperate grassland desert. Temperate desert steppe had the highest Shannon Wiener diversity index, Simpson dominance index, and Margalef richness index, but alpine meadow had the highest Pielou evenness index. [Conclusion]  The huge differences in altitude, temperature and availability of water in the complex mountain terrain of this grassland region, combined with the heterogeneity of the grassland vegetation community, contribute to the diversity of grasshoppers in the upper and middle reaches of Shiyang River Basin.