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Rice Grasshopper
Pseudoxya diminuta
15.4561, 119.921
Field Notes
Description:
Pseudoxya diminuta Walker, 1871. This congregation of Rice Grasshopper nymphs is the largest I have encountered. There were 51 nymphs in the main group and some smaller groups of 2 or 3 just a few inches away. P. diminuta belongs to the Family Acrididae; Subfamily Oxyinae.
Habitat:
These were spotted in our garden at around 8.00 a.m. They were basking in the early sunlight on the leaves of an Acai Berry plant (Euterpe oleracea). This species is quite common here and I have often seen them on Sunflowers (Helianthus sp.), but I have spotted them most often on St. Vincent Plum (Gliricidia sepium) which appears to be their favourite host plant in this vicinity.
Notes:
Groups of Grasshoppers are generally referred to by the use of the collective noun "Cloud", but this only seems to make sense to me if they are in flight. When I have come across groups of flightless nymphs, I have tended to jot them down using the collective "Congregation". It just seems more appropriate.
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