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Mottled Grasshopper

Mottled Grasshopper ©Philip Precey

Mottled grasshopper

The Mottled grasshopper can be found in dry grasslands, such as railway cuttings, and heathlands throughout summer. Males can be seen rubbing their legs against their wings to create a 'song' for the females.

Scientific name

Myrmeleotettix maculatus

When to see

April to October

Species information

Statistics

Length: 1.2-1.9cm
Common.

About

The Mottled grasshopper is a small grasshopper of dry places, including heathland, old quarries and railway cuttings, and is often found in the uplands. It hatches in April and May, and moults into adult form from June onwards, shedding its exoskeleton as it grows. Males can be seen displaying to females by rubbing their legs against their wings to create a 'song' - in this case, it is a soft, rapid, 'zrrr zrrr' noise that lasts about 10 seconds. After mating, the eggs are laid in the soil ready to hatch the following spring.

How to identify

The Mottled grasshopper is most easily identified by its characteristic, club-tipped antennae. Its song is a series of 'wet buzzes', rising in volume to a crescendo, and then stopping abruptly.

Distribution

Widespread.

Did you know?

grasshoppers lay their eggs in the ground, often at the base of grass stems. The female prepares a number of fertilised eggs in a 'pod' which is buried in the soil; she'll lay a number of pods in this way. The eggs are protected over winter by their casing.