Chorthippus biguttulus

Chorthippus biguttulus, the bow-winged grasshopper, is one of the most common species of grasshopper found in the dry grassland of northern and central Europe.[1] It is part of a group of species (biguttulus-group) that are very difficult to identify morphologically. Chorthippus biguttulus was previously classified (with C. brunneus and C. mollis) as a single species Stauroderus variabilis. The three species were distinguished using song characteristics.[2]

Chorthippus biguttulus
Chorthippus biguttulus female
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Caelifera
Family: Acrididae
Genus: Chorthippus
Species:
C. biguttulus
Binomial name
Chorthippus biguttulus

Distribution

The range of the bow-winged grasshopper extends from the Finland and Scandinavia in the north to the Alps and Pyrenees in the south, and goes well into Asia including Japan.

Physical appearance

Females grow to approximately 2 cm (0.79 in) and are larger than males that grow to approximately 1.5 cm (0.59 in). Males often have a red tip to the abdomen while females do not. They can be extremely variable in colour from green to black-brown to rose.

C. brunneus and C. bigguttulus are morphologically indistinguishable but will not mate due to difference in their calls. If a proper call is produced while the two species are placed in proximity, mating will occur with fertile offspring resulting. This is thought to be the early stages of species divergence in progress.[3]

  • Female Chorthippus biguttulus
  • Male Chorthippus biguttulus
  • In Tokyo, Japan. They can appear reddish-brown depending on their environment
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References
  1. Bellmann, Heiko (1988-05-05). Field Guide to the Grasshoppers and Crickets of Britain and Northern Europe. Collins. ISBN 0-00-219852-5.
  2. Ramme, W (1921). "Orthopterologische Beitrage". Archiv für Naturgeschichte. 86: 81–166.
  3. Dawkins, Richard; Yan Wong (2005). The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 0-618-61916-X.
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