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2012 Photograph, Carolina Locust (Dissosteira carolina, Grasshopper Family, Acrididae, Order Orthoptera), Occoquan Bay NWR, Woodbridge, Virginia, © 2020.
This grasshopper shows an excellent example of camouflage coloration.
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2007 Photograph, Carolina Locust (Dissosteira carolina, Grasshopper Family, Acrididae, Order Orthoptera), Waples' Estates Catch Basin, Fairfax, Virginia, © 2020.
This grasshopper shows an excellent example of camouflage coloration.
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Calliptamus italicus, the Italian locust, is a species of 'short-horned grasshopper' belonging to the family Acrididae, subfamily Calliptaminae.
This species is native of the steppes of Central Asia, but it is also present in most of Europe, in the eastern Palearctic realm, in North Africa, and in the Near East.
Distribution and habitat
Calliptamus italicus is found in Western Europe and Central Asia. Its range extends from North Africa and the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea to Central Europe, Central Asia, Mongolia and western Siberia. These grasshoppers can be encountered from July through October. It thrives in warm dry habitats with sparse vegetation cover such as grasslands and rocky steppes, old quarries, gravel pits, rock-strewn areas beside rivers, sand dunes and fallow land.
Description
Calliptamus italicus is a medium-sized grasshopper characterized by a significant sexual dimorphism. The adult males grow up to 14–26 millimetres (0.55–1.02 in) long, while females reach 21–40 millimetres (0.83–1.57 in) of length. This species is quite variable in size and colour. The basic coloration of the body varies from gray to brownish-reddish. The wings have a characteristic reddish or pinkish coloration, better visible when the insect is in flight. Quite evident is the dilating membrane ('pallium') of the subgenital plate of males.
Ecology
Calliptamus italicus is a polyphagous species, able to feed upon various wild plants, but also on crops, especially legumes. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is among the species preferred by juveniles, but there have been reported sporadic cases of infestation on grains and grapevine. It feeds on a variety of plants in the families Asteraceae, Chenopodiaceae and Poaceae.
Their life cycle lasts one year. The egg-laying takes place in late August - early September, usually in rocky areas exposed to the south. The female lays eggs in the soil within an ootheca that can hold 25 to 55 eggs wrapped in a spongy secretion. The appearance of the larvae takes place in May–June; the first adults appear in July.
In certain circumstances this species may develop a tendency to gregariousness with formation of very numerous aggregates, potentially harmful to crops. It normally occurs in low densities in undisturbed sparse grassland but disappears when the land is cultivated. It occurs in high densities in uncultivated land that is invaded by Artemisia, and on overgrazed pastures with weeds and bare ground. Under these conditions it can become gregarious and form locust swarms. After the breakup of the USSR in 1991, much agricultural land was left uncultivated. This gave ideal conditions for the Italian locust to breed and build up in numbers, and Kazakhstan suffered a devastating locust plague between 1998 and 2001.
Subspecies
C. italicus var. albotibialis Nedelkov, 1907
C. italicus var. italicus Nedelkov, 1907
The following subspecies proposed in the past are no longer accepted. They are currently included in the nominal subspecies.
C. italicus var. carbonaria Uvarov, 1914 – C. coelesyriensis (Giglio-Tos, 1893)
C. italicus var. reductus Ramme, 1927 – C. italicus var. italicus Linnaeus, 1758)
C. italicus var. bilineata Puschnig, 1910 – C. italicus var. italicus Linnaeus, 1758)
C. italicus var. insularis Ramme, 1951 – C. italicus var. italicus Linnaeus, 1758)
C. italicus var. afghanus Ramme, 1952 – C. italicus var. italicus Linnaeus, 1758)
C. italicus var. grandis Ramme, 1927 – C. italicus var. italicus Linnaeus, 1758)
C. italicus var. gilvonigricans Voroncovskij, 1927 – C. italicus var. italicus Linnaeus, 1758)
C. italicus var. blandus Ivanov, 1888 – C. italicus var. italicus Linnaeus, 1758)
Pseudochorthippus parallelus (often known by its synonym Chorthippus parallelus), the meadow grasshopper, is a common species of grasshopper in the tribe Gomphocerini. It is found in non-arid grasslands throughout the well vegetated areas of Europe and some adjoining areas of Asia. It is a well-studied organism in the discipline of evolutionary biology and was an early and important model system for the study of European phylogeography.
Distribution
The range of the Meadow Grasshopper extends from the Atlantic coast of Europe, including the British Isles, to the Urals. It is found from Scandinavia in the north to southern Spain and Anatolia in the south. It prefers moist vegetation and in southern regions is typically found in river valleys and at altitude (up to approx 2000m), not being found in arid areas.
Female Chorthippus parallelus
Females grow to approximately 2 centimetres (3⁄4 in) and are larger and less active than males that grow to approximately 1.5 centimetres (5⁄8 in). Both sexes are flightless. In females the wing cases (covering vestigial wings) extend only a short way down the abdomen while males have longer wing cases extending to almost the tip of the abdomen. They can be variable in colour with green, brownish, purple-red and pink forms recorded, although green forms are most common. Colour forms are genetically determined and some populations can show high frequency of pink grasshoppers. Pseudochorthippus parallelus is distinguished from similar species by the approximately parallel nature of the bars (pronotal side-keels) on the back of the neck which gives the species its name.
Possible utilization for human food
Due to high densities of these insects in Western Europe, some researchers have also proposed their possible utilization as human food. These insects contain 69% proteins on dry weight with excellent amino acid profile and digestibility. Aman Paul and his co-workers indicated that before introducing these insects for human food, it is necessary to do a thorough examination of any possible toxic and/or allergic conditions that could arise from their consumption.
Subspecies
Various races of the meadow grasshopper have been described in different regions with forms described as separate subspecies. They include:
P. parallelus erythropus (Faber, 1958) - Iberian Peninsula
P. parallelus parallelus (Zetterstedt, 1821) - nominate subsp., widespread including the British Isles
P. parallelus serbicus Karaman, Z., 1958
P. parallelus tenuis (Brullé, 1832) - Greece
These subspecies are the result of the allopatric separation of P. parallelus populations into separate southern European refugia during the Pleistocene ice ages.
The most widespread subspecies, P.p. parallelus, is found throughout much of Europe but is replaced by P.p. erythropus in Iberia. The Iberian erythropus subspecies is characterized in the field by red hind tibiae and differences in the mating song although other studies demonstrate additional differences in morphological, behavioural, chromosomal and DNA sequence characters. There is a hybrid zone between P.p. erythropus and P.p. parallelus running along the ridge of the Pyrenees mountains between Spain and France. A similar hybrid zone has been described between forms in France and Italy that runs along the Alps.
Speciation
The subspecies do not appear to be speciating by way of reinforcement. This result is among the most important evidences against speciation by reinforcement.
Photographed at the McGee Creek Wildlife Management Area, Oklahoma, on 2 September 2021.
Photographs and text © Bryan Reynolds
All rights reserved. Contact: [email protected]
Syrbula admirabilis, east Travis County, Texas, September 2020
Photographed at the McGee Creek Wildlife Management Area, Oklahoma, on 17 September 2020.
Photographs and text © Bryan Reynolds
All rights reserved. Contact: [email protected]
Photographed at the McGee Creek Wildlife Management Area, Oklahoma, on 17 September 2020.
Photographs and text © Bryan Reynolds
All rights reserved. Contact: [email protected]
Melanoplus differentialis
Urban Austin, Travis County, Texas, August 2020
Melanoplus differentialis
Urban Austin, Travis County, Texas, August 2020
Melanoplus differentialis
Urban Austin, Travis County, Texas, August 2020
I saw a mockingbird grab something on the ground and fly into a tree. Walked over and got this shot. The bird caught a tiny grasshopper. Since the bird did not immediately eat the bug, I figured there is a nest nearby. I followed the bird when it flew.
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
Short-horned Grasshopper nymph (Family Acrididae)
My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com
Sure enough, the parent delivered the snack to a nest of babies. The nest was high and obscured so this was all I could see but I could hear several babies crying loudly to be fed. That tiny grasshopper won't go far, better get back out there quick.
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com
Probably one of the spurthroats. Estero Llano Grande State Park, south Texas, November 2018
Photographed at the Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Oklahoma, on 22 July 2018.
Photographs and text © Bryan Reynolds
All rights reserved. Contact: [email protected]
Photographed at the Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Oklahoma, on 22 July 2018.
Photographs and text © Bryan Reynolds
All rights reserved. Contact: [email protected]
Photographed at the Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Oklahoma, on 22 July 2018.
Photographs and text © Bryan Reynolds
All rights reserved. Contact: [email protected]
Photographed at the Lexington Wildlife Management Area, Oklahoma, on 22 July 2018.
Photographs and text © Bryan Reynolds
All rights reserved. Contact: [email protected]