Beats me. (A grasshopper nymph, I first thought.)

Pygmy...

Definitely looks like a Pygmy Grasshopper to me. Going through OSF (ugh...), it looks like there are about 5 species found in Cali (most species of Pygmies are found SE, or east in general). These are Tetrix sierrana, Paratettix aztecus, P. fraygessneri, P. mexicanus, and P. toltecus. Given that Tetrix sierrana is up for the endangered species list, we could probably eliminate that one, although I don't know what it looks like, so in the end it could be. Many photos of Paratettix have really long pronotums, but several species have forms that have short pronotums also. My guess is P. toltecus, it seems to be a fairly common one in your area, if pygmy grasshoppers can be called common... It's been found in Los Angeles County and San Bernadino County, as well as Yolo and Madera Counties up by San Francisco. P. aztecus has only been found in Palm Springs, and P. mexicanus has been found in San Bernadino. So my guess is P. toltecus, but this is a hard group to distinguis, and without a picture of one I can't be positive.

… Michael Garcia, 26 April, 2008 - 3:03pm

Good info. Seems Paratettix sp. is a solid choice.

Thanks, Michael. Maybe I can turn up a photo.

… Ron Hemberger, 26 April, 2008 - 5:26pm

Side View

do you have any side views of this one?

… Lynette Schimming, 19 April, 2008 - 5:34pm

Sorry, but no.

Repaired knee precludes low-from-the-side shots. Give me another nine months, Lynette.

… Ron Hemberger, 19 April, 2008 - 10:26pm

Understandable

Well I'm not sure about this one. There are a couple of lubber grasshoppers with legs like this one, but it also has a pygmy look? Hopefully a grasshopper expert will see it.

… Lynette Schimming, 19 April, 2008 - 10:35pm

Thanks, Lynette

I see why you wanted a side view. After looking at one you shot, I began to think it's a pygmy, first for California. Of the BG posts, this seems most similar.

Now, we'll likely see what the experts have to say...

… Ron Hemberger, 19 April, 2008 - 11:32pm

Oh yes,

good find. Too bad we don't have any comments saying this white patch is a reliable field mark for that species only. We do have Patrick's comments on the image you refer to and this one. If so, your specimen is a nymph because it doesn't have the full wings yet?

… Lynette Schimming, 20 April, 2008 - 11:03am

Nymph or no?

I'm really not sure.

There's a surprising amount of activity along this creek, which I've often inspected but never seen with so many insects there on the ground. Included is quite an assortment of flies, including many bee flies, loads of honey bees, plus other small bees and wasps. And I don't have to chase after them!

… Ron Hemberger, 20 April, 2008 - 12:52pm

Definitely not a nymph

I saw - and repeatedly shot - another today. It definitely can fly. Even more telling is a photo that shows the miniscule nymph near the adult. I plan to post these soon. (Markings are somewhat different. New one is darker and lacks the patch on the back.)

… Ron Hemberger, 4 May, 2008 - 8:00pm