Grasshopper? - Chorthippus

new development

Because this is from the same area, and because the pronotum has the lateral carinae strongly twice cut, I'm thinking this is a nymph of the other Chorthippus species that has turned up there. Usually a nymph of C. curtipennis that is this mature will also have dark "knees" on the hind legs (though not always).

Moved from Marsh Meadow Grasshopper.

… David J. Ferguson, 16 August, 2012 - 1:19am

Moved

Moved from Chorthippus.

… David J. Ferguson, 27 September, 2009 - 4:50pm

Meadow Grasshopper...I Think

Despite the unusual coloration, I think this is a 4th (or possibly 5th) instar female nymph of the common (marsh) meadow grasshopper or Chorthippus curtipennis. They're normally tan on top and have green sides, but in our region we also have numerous all brown variants--the ones with very pale, almost white tan 'tops' combined with dark chocolate brown sides are especially striking--plus green-sided ones with pink/mauve/purple tops and, most rarely, solid pink ones...I think this is due to extensive inbreeding and it's quite possible your populations show just as much variation as do ours. About the only markings all the different variants of older nymphs (aside from the solid pinks) seem to share and exhibit are those little curved accented lines high up on the sides of the pronotum separating the hopper's two base colours, and your subject does show that quite nicely. Colour aside, all the little details of anatomy also look right to me for this to be a meadow grasshopper. There's a photo of an adult female in this site's guide, at...

http://bugguide.net/node/view/34444/bgpage

...and if you compare your side shot of your nymph to her, I think you'll see quite a few similarities in the formation of their heads and thoraxes, etc. You can also have a look at more specimens and get more info about these hoppers from their fact sheet at...

http://www.sidney.ars.usda.gov/grasshopper/ID_Tools/F_Sheets/meadow.htm

This is the source that lists this species as normally only having four instars, with a few regional exceptions where they may have five (including yours? dunno!). Despite the small size of her wing buds, I think yours is in her last nymphal instar--I've seen adult females with very short, almost vestigial wings so she may be a short-winged individual...

Well, have a look through the links and see what you think. I couldn't even begin to guess at what other slant-faced species it could be...pretty hopper, though, whatever she is, isn't she?

… Heimchen, 22 July, 2006 - 10:06pm

Thanks, I followed your lead and...

Thank you for your VERY helpful information! With your suggestion as a starting point, I've looked at the information about Chorthippus curtipennis from the links you provided and several others on the web. This one includes an identification section and also shows the instars. The distribution map provided indicates that this species inhabits Newfoundland. This all supports your idea. Before going further, let me say that I'm an absolute, complete novice at grasshoppers, so I have no idea what I'm talking about. That said, after looking through the various web pages I've found, I'm inclined to think that my subject is of the genus Chorthippus but not the species C. curtipennis. For one thing, it lacks the black knees that are apparently present even in instar IV. However, the Chorthippus parallelus also looks somewhat like my subject. Still in the same genus, the Lesser Marsh Grasshopper, Chorthippus albomarginatus (Brown Form), is similar to my subject as is Chorthippus albomarginatus (De Geer, 1773). I even think that the Chrysochraon dispar shown on this page looks somewhat like my subject as does this one. It's way too confusing for me! Do you think I should move these images to the Genus Chorthippus page? I see that Chorthippus curtipennis is the only species listed in the Guide thus far.

… Mardon Erbland, 23 July, 2006 - 10:07am

Glad The Hopper Links Helped...

...and while the other Chorthippus species you found are certainly similar in form, I don't think you need to worry about them being possible ID suspects as I believe they're all European or Eurasian species--finding any of them in Newfoundland would be a true coup, to put it mildly! To help 'unconfuse' yourself, try taking careful note of species ranges when trying to put names to buggy faces and dropping any 'impossible' species from consideration right away...what's left over will seem much less daunting then. The list of orthopteran species one is likely to see in our neck of the woods is actually quite short and reasonable. I use a checklist I found for Maine--have a look and it should help you narrow down your own grasshopper possibilities too from now on...

http://www.vfthomas.com/checklists/orderorthopterachecklistme.htm

Probably not complete or a true representation for either Nova Scotia or Newfoundland, but at least it's a start and you'll see now why I wrote that I didn't know what else your hopper could be--there just aren't that many Chorthippus-type hoppers or their lookalikes to consider! Even so, I wouldn't go moving any images until one of the site's experts weighs in...I'm just an amateur at this making best guesses. I also have Chorthippus curtipennis on the brain. They're one of my favourite grasshoppers...:)

A few more notes ref. why I think your hopper is what it is...the size you provided does put your subject neatly into the 12-16 mm body length range listed for 4th instar nymphs on the Pfadt's sheet...my own observations of the nymphs are that the paler variants don't necessarily show much dark pigment until they're adults, at which point they'll always have some degree of dark shading on the abdominal segments and on the knees, and will have lighter-coloured, often yellowish 'bellies', ie. the undersides of their abdomens and thoraxes.

… Heimchen, 24 July, 2006 - 12:40am

I'm learning

Thanks for the additional information and explanation. It all makes sense and I'm learning; slowly maybe, but learning! :) I guess the only thing about what you've said that gives me pause for thought is your suggestion to discount the 'impossible' species (your single quotes acknowledged.) Newfoundland's geography and history being what it is, there have been many species of insects that were introduced here from Europe. It seems possible to me that not all of them have made it to the mainland. Anyway, I know it's a long-shot, but I think I might be somewhat more reluctant than you to entirely dismiss the idea that a European species might inhabit Newfoundland. But then again, as already admitted, I know nothing about grasshoppers (or other insects for that matter.) LOL. As you say, I hope one of the site's experts weighs-in. I'm sure they'll support your observations. I think part of the problem for me is that this is a 4th instar and I keep wanting to compare it to adults. Oh well, as I say, I'm learning. :)

… Mardon Erbland, 24 July, 2006 - 6:57am