Mottled or Field Grasshopper

[Kiristar]

Hi there,

I wonder if you can help me work out which this fella is. from the wildlife trust pictures ( Field Grasshopper | The Wildlife Trusts) It seems too mottled to be a field and too plain to be a mottled ?

I live near the ridgeway on chalk downland and read somewhere mottled ones are seen that habitat?

Many thanks!

[aeshna5]

They are all Field Grasshoppers. Notice the hairy underside to the thorax; keel pattern is perfect tooo as well as general pattern.

[Kiristar]

Thanks Aeshna for confirming that. I'd no idea an individual grasshopper species can be so varied.

[Tog]

Those images are amazing, may i ask what equipment you use please.

[Deb London]

Also the male Mottled has clubbed antennae, those of the female are thickened. This species would have no costal bulge on the edge of the wing, and although my book doesn't say this, I think the wings are noticeably shorter than those of the Field, which in your shots extend further than the end of the abdomen.

[Kiristar]

Thanks Tog, I use a Canon 7D with the Canon 180mm macro lens. These are more record/ID shots, If you're interested in the results you can get with that combo I have a few butterfly and nature galleries at kiri-online.co.uk

Deb - thanks for the extra detail, I'm not sure what a costal bulge is but I had spotted the wing length and wondered if that was defining characteristic.

Thanks again!
Kiri

[Deb London]

Re. costal bulge, WAB to the rescue:

Message - Wild About Britain Pics