Blue-winged Grasshopper

Oedipoda caerulescens

Description:

Perfectly camouflaged medium sized (about 2.5 cm in length) grasshopper. Presented here is its "grey form", whose body is marbled grey-brown, providing an excellent camouflage in rocky mediterranean environment. (The other described, not presented here, form is so-called "red brown form"). In flight, during its fast jumps, the grasshopper shows conspicuous sea-blue hindwings before "disappearing" in its surrounding.

Habitat:

Observed in mediterranean maquis, just in between houses and vineyards. Seen on famous "Dingač" vineyard slopes of Pelješac peninsula of Dubrovnik riviera.