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Photo#27995
Pink Grasshopper - Dissosteira carolina

Pink Grasshopper - Dissosteira carolina
Anaconda, Deerlodge County, Montana, USA
July 30, 2005
I think it's a nymph.

Images of this individual: tag all
Pink Grasshopper - Dissosteira carolina Pink Grasshopper - Dissosteira carolina - male

Moved
Moved from Band-winged Grasshoppers. Thanks David.

Never checked back in
After that big long comment, your second image does give more perspective (median ridge of pronotum prominent and deeply cut, but only once). Also, time gives more experience. This is a third instar nymph. The comments about Xanthippus and kin don't actually apply to this one, even though it is stocky. I'm now pretty convinced that it's just a really young Dissosteira carolina. I've seen orange ones, but never a pink one (yet). Spharagemon equale would look very similar at this age, but I don't think it occurs at Anaconda.

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Moved

Xanthippus corallipes?
I'm not certain, and this may be a bit premature, but after looking this little guy over, I think you may have a male Xanthippus nymph in about the 2nd instar. I could be wrong though, and a few other species are possible. I think the only other close relatives in the area would be Cratypedes and Camnula. It certainly isn't Camnula, and Cratypedes should - I think - have a sharper edge to the top of the pronotum, and be less smooth between the eyes. The July date favors something different though, because Xanthippus eggs usually don't start hatching till late August or September, at least in most places. [perhaps they hatch earlier in colder climates to give more time to grow before the earlier winter sets in?] On the flip side, the date is getting late for a species that matures in late spring or early summer. A couple of other possibilies are Spharagemon equale and Arphia, but it it doesn't look right for those to me. I don't have any juvenile specimens to compare directly to your photo, and I wish I had a side shot of your creature to look at too; so, I'm probably not going to do much better than this. Luckily, there aren't many species to choose from in that part of the world. I can go out and catch some little Xanthippus this weekend and do a comparison, but by now they are probably all much older than the one in your photo and would look quite different. Xanthippus nymphs always remind me of little tiny toads. I've seen them reddish brown, but never pink before. It is very striking. I can't help thinking how beautiful the adult must have been if it stayed this color to maturity. Mmm, I think that's my longest comment yet :o}

 
Thanks David,
I've added the only other image I've got of this one. It probably won't help you, since it's not very clear and not that different of an angle. Too bad I was with a large group here on a tour or I would have spent more time and gotten better shots.

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