Psophus stridulus
| Psophus stridulus | |
|---|---|
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| Mounted specimen | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Orthoptera |
| Family: | Acrididae |
| Genus: | Psophus |
| Species: | P. stridulus |
| Binomial name | |
| Psophus stridulus (Linnaeus, 1758) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Psophus stridulus, commonly known as the rattle grasshopper, is a species of grasshopper of the family Acrididae.
Description
Psophus stridulus can reach a length of 23–25 millimetres (0.9–1.0 in) in the males, of 26–40 millimetres (1.0–1.6 in) in the females. The basic colouration of the body varies from brown to grey–ochre or black, with lighter spots. The pronotum is strongly convex. These grasshoppers are winged, but wings are short and unfit for flight in females, fully developed in males. The hindwings are bright red-orange, with a black apex. The adults occurs from July or August up to October.
Subspecies
- Psophus stridulus samniticus Baccetti, 1958
- Psophus stridulus stridulus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Distribution
This species can be found in Central and Southern Europe, in the East Palearctic ecozone (Siberia, Russian Far East, Middle Asia, China, Mongolia, Eastern Asia) and in the Near East.
Habitat
This species lives mainly in arid and rocky open areas, mostly in mountainous regions, at an elevation up to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level.