A red grasshopper

While out picking berries this morning I was astonished (I astonish easily these days) to come across a red grasshopper. As it was around some raspberry canes I wondered if this was some form of adaptive colouration?
On googling 'red grasshopper Australia' I came up with a reference of sorts to the Common Macrotona but very few images thereof.  It appeared that the diagnostic aspect of the family to which it belongs is having a spur on the throat.  So I went and took a few more images (a couple of which show it hopping, and on grass).


At least they give some nice detail and in a couple of cases show the detail of the very long antennae.  However even in digital zoom mode I can't pick out anything I'd call a spur.  But this shot of the head and upper thorax is attractive.

Following on from Denis Wilson's comment I went to check the Chew family's page.  It is a brilliant effort and the juvenile Common Garden Katydid Caedicia simplex certainly looks very like the beast I saw.  The text also suggests that the colour of the animal reflect the colour of the plant they are living on (strawberries and raspberries in this case).

Comments

Denis Wilson said…
Hi Martin
Happy Christmas.
The Chew Family site for insects of Brisbane appears to indicate your red grasshopper might be a juvenile (green) Common Garden Katydid - Caedicia simplex.
Cheers
Denis
24 December 2010 at 22:57:00 GMT+11
Flabmeister said…
Denis

Happy Christmas indeed.

I have checked the Chew family page and agree with your suggestion. This is now reflected in the post.

Martin
25 December 2010 at 06:21:00 GMT+11
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