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Elegant grasshopper

Zonocerus elegans

Description:

colourful medium-large grasshopper, about 40mm. this individual was particularly brightly coloured, some individuals are a lot more muted. As is characteristic of the Pyromorphidae family, Zonocerus can produce an obnoxious foam from the thorax region when they feel threatened hence the common family name Foam Grasshoppers . The nymphal stage starts out as gregarious, black and white hoppers.

Habitat:

in tangled grassy/weedy area within a cattle ranch; semi arid,sub tropical, bushveld. Although these grasshoppers are frequently associated with milkweeds, Senecios and Solanums all of which contain nasty alkaloids these particular grasshoppers were feasting on the amaranth, Hermbstadtia odorata

Notes:

these attractive grasshoppers can be a severe agricultural pest of irrigated vegetable and fruit growing areas.

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18 Comments

Andrea Lim
Andrea Lim 10 years ago

Amazing colors. It is amost like an art project .... painted in different colors!

MayraSpringmann
MayraSpringmann 10 years ago

INCREDIBLE!!

DinDjarin
DinDjarin 10 years ago

WOOOW¡¡
ASOMEOME¡¡¡¡

Albena
Albena 10 years ago

Stunning colours! Wonderful photo!

Ietermagog
Ietermagog 11 years ago

Fantastic colouring!

Telse
Telse 11 years ago

Wow! Funky Grasshopper. Love this.

alicelongmartin
alicelongmartin 11 years ago

Cool!

Wild Things
Wild Things 11 years ago

Wow! Amazing colours!

LaurenZarate
LaurenZarate 11 years ago

Very very beautiful!

PongWira
PongWira 11 years ago

Wow, colourful!

LeanneGardner
LeanneGardner 11 years ago

Wow! It's beautiful!

Jacob Gorneau
Jacob Gorneau 11 years ago

Wow! Elegant indeed!

KarenL
KarenL 11 years ago

Very flamboyant!

AdamBT
AdamBT 11 years ago

Lovely find!

Johan Heyns
Johan Heyns 11 years ago

Beautiful! Nice shots! Thanks for sharing.

Glen Marks
Glen Marks 11 years ago

A rainbow of colors!

Reza Hashemizadeh
Reza Hashemizadeh 11 years ago

Beautiful !

ceherzog
ceherzog 11 years ago

That's a showy grasshopper! Very nice.

C.Sydes
Spotted by
C.Sydes

Central District, Botswana

Spotted on Mar 17, 2013
Submitted on Mar 25, 2013

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