David Element's Wildlife Web Page Orthopteroids 10

David Element

Wildlife Photography

and Digital Video Images

Orthopteroids 10 - Bow-winged Grasshoppers 1

BOW-WINGED GRASSHOPPER Chorthippus biguttulus (m) GREEN FORM

BOW-WINGED GRASSHOPPER Chorthippus biguttulus (m) BROWN FORM

DETAIL ENLARGEMENT OF ABOVE ILLUSTRATING WING STRUCTURE OF MALE

BOW-WINGED GRASSHOPPER Chorthippus biguttulus (f) RED FORM

Several different colour forms of this very variable European grasshopper are shown. This insect may only be distinguished from the morphologically very similar Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus by close examination of the forewing structure and these are hopefully genuine examples of this species. The male Bow-winged Grasshopper has a broader costal area (see enlargement of second photograph) and slightly shorter wings than the Field Grasshopper although these characters are not easy to see without substantial magnification. The eponymous 'bow-wing' refers to a small bulge on the costal margin of the forewing of the male which is just visible in this photograph. Identification even from well exposed and sharp photographs may be difficult if the hindlegs are obscuring the wing venation. The photographs were taken in France. If the climate continues to warm up in the UK this species is a likely candidate for future addition to the British fauna.