grasshopper Haut-Jura (1 Viewer)

[Steve Babbs]

Request for ID. I think I'm going to kick myself with this one but I'm failing to identify it. Any help appreciated. Haut-Jura, France August 2020.

 

[Richard Prior]

In case you don’t get a reply Steve, here’s the gallery of photos from the Swiss site Ornitho.ch, perhaps you’ll find it lurking there!
https://www.ornitho.ch/index.php?m_id=7&&author=0&species=0&frmPage=all&sp_tg=11

 

[Steve Babbs]

Thanks. A useful site which i didn't know about. I do have the french field guide so I'm not sure why I am failing and I'm all struggling with this one.

 

[pdwinter]

If we have the same guide (Cahier d'identifcation) then nymphs are not covered apart from a mention on pp12-13 to say how difficult they can be!

The one in your first post looks like it could turn out to be Gomphocerippus rufus but I've only seen adults over here so it's just a wild guess!

 

[Steve Babbs]

I didn't know that book existed. I have Guide des Sauterelles. I'd be interested to know how good it is. I am also using a couple of websites and have the Greek and Slovenian books. With nymphs I generally presume they look like adults but lacking wings but that may be a mistake. This one is an adult, looks like it should be obvious and I'm still struggling.

 

[pdwinter]

Hi Steve, I have the Guide des Sauterelles but I bought the Sardet, Roesti & Braud book after it was recommended to me by a Spaniard (in https://www.facebook.com/groups/ortopterosibericos) to help with IDing spanish orthoptera. It is an excellent book with lots of keys with drawings as well as photos.

Quite often features of the adult wing are used as part of the identification so a nymph presents problems there. The pronotum is also used a lot and that can change shape through the nymphal stages becoming like the adult in the last two instars - not too bad in the UK where we have so few species it doesn't really cause a problem.

Looking at your adult pic it looks like a (rather plain) female Mottled Grasshopper (Myrmeleotettix maculatus) with the slightly flattened clubbed antennae (which are not always obvious), short strongly-indented pronotum and round-looking head. But if I've 'read' the antennae wrong then I wouldn't know where to look next!

A plain female Mottled Grasshopper fro the New Forest attached.

 

[Steve Babbs]

I'll have to invest prior to my next European trip. Mottled grasshopper would explain why I'm sure I've seen it before. Maybe I should just stick to crickets!