Almost two inches long, and with bold chevrons on their hind femurs, the Differential Grasshoppers (Melanoplus differentialis) are out and about now and engaged in making little grasshoppers for the future. They are fans of the Polygonum smartweeds, which grow practically anywhere, which means you might stumble across one (grasshopper, plant) in the midst of the urban concrete, although this one and its mate were in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Grasshopper
5 responses to “Grasshopper”
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Is this the noisy guy from Pier 6?
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Not sure. I found this one on Pier 1. The males do stridulate though. Looking for a sound clip on the web…
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http://www.musicofnature.org/songsofinsects/iframes/specieslist.html has a lot of insect sounds, but not the Differential’s.
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What a creature. The detail of the photo is fantastic, Matthew.
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The creature was kind enough to let me get close.
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Backyard and Beyond 
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