Bark-mimicking Grasshopper - Coryphistes ruricola
Family Acrididae
This page contains pictures and information about the Bark-Mimicking Grasshoppers that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- Body length 50mm
- They are hard to be be seen when they rest on the tree trunk. They do not move until we come very close, then they hide at the other side of the tree trunk. They look similar to another grasshopper species Adreppus fallax which also mimics the bark. This grasshopper species has elongated antennae which is sword shaped and flattened at the bases.
- Both female and male of this species are fully winged. The colour and patterns of each individual may vary a bit.
- Adult body length 40mm-50mm
- When they are resting on tree trunk, they are hardly be noticed even come very close.
- They like to rest on tree trunk with their body align with the tree bark patterns.
- They are active both day and night. They feed on foliage of acacia and other shrubs.
- Nymph, 3rd instars, body length 25mm
- Nymph, 4th instars body length 35mm
- During the day time, they rest on tree trunk with rough bark surface. They usually sit in line with the bark texture and hardly be seen. They will not move a bit even we came to very close. They depend on their camouflaged pattern to hide away from their predators.
- Nymph, 5th instars body length 40mm, on Black Wattle tree trunk mid summer, Alexandra Hill
- The above pictures were taken in Karawatha Forest during mid summer.
- Nymph, 5th instars, body length 30mm
- Reference:
- 1. Grasshopper Country - the Abundant Orthopteroid Insects of Australia, D Rentz, UNSW Press, 1996, p189.
- 2. A Guide to Australian Grasshoppers and Locusts - DCF Rentz, RC Lewis, YN Su and MS Upton, 2003, p264.
