Gomphocerippus rufus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Rufous Grasshopper

Taxonomy: 

  • Orthoptera›Caelifera›Acridoidea›Acrididae›Gomphocerinae›Gomphocerippus rufus

Status: 

UK

Distribution

Recordings

  • Courtship song.
  • Calling song. Two verses, interval between verses shortened.

Colours show the year of the last record -

  up to 1987   1988-97   1998 up to present

Only Recording Scheme datasets are included. Other datasets on the Gateway may hold additional information.

Open the NBN Atlas interactive map in a new window.

Description: 

Broad bodied, brown grasshopper with clubbed, pale or white-tipped antennae. Mature males have orange tip to abdomen. Incurved pronotal side-keels. Some females are reddish-purple.

Size: 

14-22 mm

Wings: 

Fully winged.

Stridulation: 

Soft but urgent buzzing which fluctuates slightly, dying away at the end.

Food: 

Herbivorous.

Habitat: 

Rough dry grassland on calcareous soils. Typically on south facing slopes and in sheltered valleys where scrub is present or at the margin of woods.

Phenology: 

Nymphs hatch in late May. Adults appear by late July and can survive into December.