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Melanoplus yarrowii
Unusually colored pink/red, female grasshopper. " Usually there is a narrow dark stripe back from the eyes onto the pronotum and there are often at least faint diagonal dark bands across the outside of the hind femur." - BugGuide
Goldenbush along trail in riparian area. This species is found in California and Arizona. Most likely, it's in Mexico as well.
Spotted on Dec 2, 2012
Submitted on Dec 3, 2012
5 Comments
Here's an update on the color of the grasshopper from an entomology major at BugGuide "Sometimes grasshoppers darken toward the end of their life, especially if the weather starts to get cold. However, I'd say this is most likely an individual that is simply colored differently from average. A lot of species are varied in coloration, with odd individuals that are distinctly different (i.e. bright pink or yellow Katydids that stick out like neon signs in green foliage). Odds are, the odd colored ones aren't common because they are at a disadvantage for survival." - D. Ferguson
Hi Keith, I'm not sure. I haven't seen one this color before on a grasshopper and am curious to find out what species it is.
Is this the normal color?
Thank you, Yuko! :)
Beautiful series!