Lesser Mottled Grasshopper
Taxonomy
Orthoptera » Caelifera » Acridoidea » Acrididae » Gomphocerinae » Stenobothrus stigmaticus
Status
UK
Distribution Map
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.
Recordings
Description
Smallest grasshopper; usually green with brownish wings and sometimes develops orange-red colouration on the tip of the abdomen. Males have thickened, but not clubbed, antennae.
Size
10-15 mm
Wings
Wings just short of reaching the tip of the abdomen.
Stridulation
Unobtrusive series of chirps in bursts of 1-4 seconds duration.
Food
Herbivorous.
Habitat
Only found on the Isle of Man, where it lives on dry grassy slopes above the sea around rocky outcrops and in vegetated sand dunes. Short turf (5-10 cm) often with heather (Calluna vulgaris) or western gorse (Ulex galii).
Phenology
Eggs hatch in May and adults appear in early July to mid-October.