July, 2014

Northern Green-striped Grasshopper

While not the typical color of a northern green-striped grasshopper (Chortophaga viridifasciata), this pink and green form is certainly one of the prettiest versions. Grasshoppers' survival is heavily reliant on camouflage so it is not surprising that they often come in different patterns. This species has several "normal" forms, including almost all green, deep rust colored, solid tan colored, strongly marked black and gray, and brown/green combos. Living in grassy areas, which can change in a short time from verdant green to parched brown, grasshoppers that can blend in with any background will be more likely to escape birds and other predators.

Grasshoppers are divided into several subfamilies, and this one is in the "band-winged" group, named for the sometimes eye-catching hues on the flight wings. At rest, these wings are hidden, so the cryptic body markings can be effective. Besides long wings and strong flight, insects in this subfamily have the ability to make crepitating (buzzing or snapping) sounds in flight.