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pygmy grasshopper

Thoradonta sp.?

Description:

An unidentified pygmy grasshopper. Pygmy grasshoppers are less than 20 mm in length, and are recognizable by a long pronotum, that extends over the length of the abdomen, sometimes to the tip of the wings, and ends in a point. Tetrigidae are generally cryptic in coloration. Some species have enlarged pronota that mimic leaves, stones or twigs. Roughly 1,600 species have been described in about 250 genera altogether. The highest biodiversity of Tetrigidae is found in tropical forests. Some tropical species are arboreal and live among mosses and lichens in tree buttresses or in the canopy, while others live on the forest floor.Like other Orthoptera, Tetrigidae have a hemimetabolous development, in which eggs hatch into nymphs.

Habitat:

Spotted on Cucurbita sp. in a large semi-urban yard & garden next to a disturbed patch of remnant lowland forest.

Notes:

The third photo is a poor quality zoom but does show some of the anatomical features mentioned in the description.

1 Species ID Suggestions

JosipSkejo
JosipSkejo 7 years ago
Pygmy grasshopper
Thoradonta sp. [probably new species as no species are known from Papua]


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2 Comments

Scott Frazier
Scott Frazier 6 years ago

Interesting JosipSkejo! Thanks Felix Fleck! (Sorry for the unforgivably late response).

Felix Fleck
Felix Fleck 7 years ago

Nice spotting!

Scott Frazier
Spotted by
Scott Frazier

Papua, Indonesia

Spotted on May 1, 2012
Submitted on May 23, 2012

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