Broad Green-Winged Grasshopper (Aiolopus strepens) lives in dry savanna across Sub-Saharan Africa. It feeds on grasses and leaves.
Fascinating facts about the Broad Green-Winged Grasshopper
- Aiolopus strepens occupies a broad swathe that includes central and southern Europe, stretches across the Near East and North Africa, and even reaches into the Afrotropical realm. Within this range it is a Mediterranean warmth-loving insect that seeks out dry settings where low vegetation intermixes with patches of open soil. It also favours areas dotted with bushes and stony ground, habitats that provide both shelter and basking spots.
- The hind wings are often bluish at the base, while the rest of the wing is transparent with a darkened brownish apex. This coloration is noted in descriptions of the species.
- In spring, during the breeding season, female Aiolopus strepens regain green coloration and develop a more complex pattern. This follows an autumnal phase when the exoskeleton stiffens and the green fades, leaving a brownish tone.
- One recognised subspecies is Aiolopus strepens alexandrei, which was formally described by Defaut in 2017. It joins three other named subspecies within the species, namely Aiolopus strepens chloroptera, Aiolopus strepens cyanoptera and the nominate Aiolopus strepens strepens. These four taxa together reflect the species' wide distribution across Europe, the Near East and North Africa, and illustrate the taxonomic diversity recorded for this grasshopper.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeSub-Saharan Africa
HabitatDry savanna
DietGrasses and leaves
About the Broad Green-Winged Grasshopper
As the sun rises over the swaying grasslands, the Broad Green-Winged Grasshopper stirs to life, its iridescent wings beating in a hypnotic rhythm as it takes to the air. With each leap, it traverses the landscape with effortless ease, its long, slender body a blur of emerald and gold as it navigates the intricate network of blades and stems. In this fleeting dance, the grasshopper embodies the very essence of summer's vitality, its vibrant presence a testament to the enduring beauty of the natural world.
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