Italian locust
Calliptamus italicus
When they fly, their hind wings reveal a brilliant, unexpected rose-pink coloration that can startle potential predators.
- Scientific name
- Calliptamus italicus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Orthoptera › Acrididae › Calliptamus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Dry grasslands, steppes, rocky hillsides, and fallow agricultural fields.
- Diet
- Herbivorous, feeding on a wide variety of wild and cultivated plants, especially Fabaceae and Asteraceae.
- Range
- Southern Europe, North Africa, Central Asia, Middle East
- Size
- Males 14-26 mm, Females 22-40 mm
- Lifespan
- About 1 year (overwinters as eggs)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss due to intensive agriculture, heavy pesticide use, and reforestation of open grasslands.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. You can safely observe this grasshopper from any distance. If handled, they may jump suddenly or secrete a harmless brown digestive fluid as a defense mechanism. Wash hands with soap and water if handled.
Calliptamus italicus , the Italian locust , is a species of 'short-horned grasshopper' belonging to the family Acrididae, subfamily Calliptaminae.
Photo: Gilles San Martin, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
Plain-text version: /species/601a4fb5-3ab3-4ce8-a266-3200759d14eb.md