Appearance
"Anacridium aegyptium" is one of the largest European grasshoppers. The adult males grow up to 30–56 mm long, while females reach 46–70 mm in length. Their bodies are usually gray, brown, or olive-coloured, and their antennae are relatively short and robust. The tibiae of the hind legs are blue, while the femora are orange. The hind femora have characteristic dark marks. They are easily identifiable also by the characteristic eyes with vertical black and white stripes. Their pronota show a dorsal orange stripe and several white small spots. The wings are clear with dark marks.
Naming
* "Anacridium aegyptium" var. "rubrispinum" Bei-Bienko, 1948 - "Anacridium rubrispinum" Bei-Bienko, 1948
Distribution
This quite common species is present in most of Europe, the Afrotropical realm, eastern Palearctic realm, the Near East, and North Africa,and recently seen in Cape Town, South Africa.
Behavior
This species is a folivore, essentially feeding on leaves of various plants. It is a solitary species, not harmful to crops. Adults can mainly be encountered in August and September, but they are active throughout the year. After mating, these grasshoppers overwinter as adults. Spawning occurs in spring just under the soil surface and the nymphs appear in April. These grasshoppers undergo several molts. The nymphs have the appearance of the adults, their color varies from yellow to bright green and ocher and the wings are absent or small, as they are gradually developed after each molting.
Habitat
These grasshoppers inhabit trees and shrubs, scrub land, maquis, and orchards in warm and bright environments, at an elevation from sea level to 1,500 m.References:
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