Euchorthippus declivus

Euchorthippus declivus, the Jersey grasshopper or sharp-tailed grasshopper, is a species of short-horned grasshoppers belonging to the family Acrididae, subfamily Gomphocerinae.

Euchorthippus declivus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Caelifera
Family: Acrididae
Genus: Euchorthippus
Species:
E. declivus
Binomial name
Euchorthippus declivus
(Brisout, 1848)
Synonyms[1][better source needed]
List
  • Acridium declivus (Brisout de Barneville, 1848)
  • Euchorthippus declivus meridionalis Jannone, 1937
  • Euchorthippus declivus stichai Maran, 1954
  • Stenobothrus pulvinatus declivus (Brisout de Barneville, 1848)
Nymph

Description

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The adult males grow up to 14–20 millimetres (0.55–0.79 in) long, while the females reach 20–27 millimetres (0.79–1.06 in) of length.[2] The basic coloration of the body varies from light brown to beige, or occasionally yellow-green. Two or three darker and clearer longitudinal stripes start from the eyes. The head is relatively large. The bottom of the abdomen is yellow, usually with an orange tip in males. Wings are atrophied in both sexes.[3]

Close-Up of a Euchorthippus declivus

Distribution and habitat

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This very common species is present in middle and southern Europe.[4] Euchorthippus declivus inhabits arid and sunny environments, southern slopes, gravely plots with sparse vegetation, very dry to moderate wet meadows and pastures.[5][6]

Biology

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They can be encountered from July through October feeding on grasses. The eggs overwinter in the soil.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Biolib
  2. ^ "Ostravské univerzity" (in Czech). Archived from the original on 2012-03-22. Retrieved 2011-04-19.
  3. ^ Linnea (in Italian)
  4. ^ Fauna europaea
  5. ^ a b Pyrgus
  6. ^ Jeffrey Lockwood,Alexandre Latchininsky,Michael G. Sergeev Grasshoppers and Grassland Health