grasshoppers from today for id please

Naturenutz · #1 (**permalink**) 22-08-2010, 07:08 PM

These 2 photo,s were taken today just a few feet apart. Are they meadow grasshoppers ?.The single grasshopper was very pale with a yellow underside and quite large.The 3 together all looked individualy different,eg one large,two smaller with different colourations,one had green wings,the other pale wings.

GuyF · #2 (**permalink**) 22-08-2010, 08:22 PM

The first picture shows 3 Meadow Grasshoppers - Chorthippus parallelus, the larger individual in the middle is a female while the other two are males. It shows how much variation within species there can be grasshoppers!
The second is a female Field Grasshopper - Chorthippus brunneus.
Guy

Naturenutz · #3 (**permalink**) 22-08-2010, 09:08 PM

thanks very much guy . crikey these are hard

.When i zoomed in with the macro lens i could see them very gently and slowly cleaning their antennae by hooking their leg over them and slowly running the the leg the length of the antennae.really absorbing to watch.