Meadow grasshopper - Chorthippus parallelus, species information page

Meadow grasshopper - Chorthippus parallelus, click for a larger photo

Meadow grasshopper - Chorthippus parallelus
Family - Acrididae

A common species of grasshopper found in non-arid grasslands throughout the well vegetated areas of Europe and some adjoining areas of Asia, it feeds on a variety of grass species including Cocksfoot, Meadow foxtail, Red fescue. The range of the Meadow Grasshopper extends from the Atlantic coast of Europe to the Urals, and from Scandinavia in the north to southern Spain and Anatolia . It prefers moist vegetation and in southern regions is typically found in river valleys. Females are about 2cm (0.8in) long and are larger and less active than the males ♂ which are about 1.5cm (0.6in), both sexes are flightless. In females the wing cases which cover vestigial wings extend only a short way down the abdomen while males have longer wing cases extending to almost the tip of the abdomen. They can be variable in colour with green, brownish, purple-red and pink forms recorded, although green forms are most common. Colour forms are genetically determined and some populations can show high frequency of pink grasshoppers.

They usually have very short wings, with the visible forewings being normally one quarter to three-quarters the length of the abdomen so making it unable to fly. Occasionally long winged individuals do occur especially in hot summers which can be difficult to tell from other species of grasshopper. The colour is variable, usually green but often brown whilst females ♀ can even be plum or purple in colour. Its song is a burst of 10-15 irregular "chirrups" of a few seconds, repeated at intervals. This is a grasshopper mainly of long grass. Eggs are laid in summer in the soil, hatching the following April, with nymphs from late April to June becoming adult in late June and surviving usually until October.

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