Field grasshopper

Chorthippus brunneus

FAMILY

Acrididae

TAXONOMY

Chorthippus brunneus Thunberg, 1815, Sweden.

OTHER COMMON NAMES

None known.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Small, 0.5–1 in (14–25 mm); long wings. Coloration extremely varied, especially in females, from light brown to black to green to rose red.

DISTRIBUTION

Northern and central Europe.

HABITAT

Dry, sunny meadows, roadsides, and forest edges.

BEHAVIOR

Diurnal; males produce loud calls of hard "sst" sounds of about 0.2 sec duration.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

Feeds primarily on grasses.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Eggs laid in soil, enclosed in foamy egg pods.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Not threatened. One of the most common grasshoppers in its distribution.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

None known.