Wrinkled grasshopper (female)
Hippiscus ocelote
35.8987, -86.9624
Field Notes
Description:
Heavy bodied, with large rounded head, nearly smooth on top between eyes. Pronotum rough on top, often with low irregular raised parallel ridges toward the rear; with median ridge cut once at middle. Usually gray and brown with a ligher "X" mark on dorsum of pronotum; with pale lines along upper edges of folded tegmina; and with tegmina panther-spotted. Hind wings yellow, orange, red, or pink with a dark curved band running around outer edge and with a dark spur from this band near the front margin of the wing. Tip of wing usually clear, sometimes with some dark coloring mostly along the veins.
Overwinters as eggs. Adults mostly July or August into October or November in much of range, sometimes through winter in south.
Habitat:
Eastern and Central United States, into southwest.
Grasslands, pastures, meadows; areas that would be considered relatively dry with short grass in the east but would be considered moist and lush in the west.
Food habits - a mixed feeder preferring grasses. It especially prefers bluegrass and Japanese brome. Blue grama and little bluestem are preferred to a lesser extent (Campbell et al., 1974; Mulkern et al., 1969).
Notes:
About 1 1/2" long with interesting 'camo' pattern on it's back.
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