Chorthippus albomarginatus
| Chorthippus albomarginatus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Female showing white wing stripe | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Orthoptera |
| Suborder: | Caelifera |
| Family: | Acrididae |
| Genus: | Chorthippus |
| Species: | C. albomarginatus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Chorthippus albomarginatus (De Geer, 1773)
| |
Chorthippus albomarginatus, the lesser marsh grasshopper, is a common grasshopper of European grassland both damp-marshy and (despite its name) dry, including salt-marsh and coastal habitats.
Distribution[edit]
The range of the lesser marsh grasshopper extends from Finland and southern Scandinavia in the north to Spain and Italy in the south.[1] It was once present only in the southern parts of the UK but has been expanding its range northwards.
Physical appearance[edit]
Females grow to approximately 20 millimetres (0.8 in) and are larger than males that grow to approximately 15 mm (0.6 in). The female almost always has a longitudinal white stripe on the wing whereas the male rarely does.
The region behind the head is referred to as the "pronotal side-keels" and the bars are approximately parallel in this species. Although quite similar, it can be distinguished from the meadow grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus, which also has straight pronotal side-keels, by a number of characteristics. These include its ability to fly, white stripe on female's wing, and more pointed snout. It often tends to be less brightly coloured and more straw-brown than Chorthippus parallelus.
Both sexes can be extremely variable in colour from green to brown.
Song and reproduction[edit]
The song is very similar to Chorthippus brunneus, though perhaps a little slower, with 2–6 chirps each lasting approximately half a second.[2] There can be an 'alternation song' between competing males. Females lay eggs at the base of grass blades.[3]
Development[edit]
More rapid development of C. albomarginatus (maturation at a younger age) was found to be associated with higher DNA damage.[4] The association of increased DNA damage with shorter developmental times suggests that there is a trade-off between genetic integrity and growth rate. Although rapid growth would likely provide a fitness advantage, the increase production of reactive oxygen species associated with rapid development would probably make the individual more subject to oxidative DNA damage with negative consequences later in life.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ Heiko Bellmann, Heiko (May 5, 1988). Field Guide to the Grasshoppers and Crickets of Britain and Northern Europe. Collins. ISBN 0-00-219852-5.
- ^ Michael Chinery (1986). Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe. Collins. ISBN 0-00-219137-7.
- ^ N. Waloff (1950). "The egg pods of British short-horned grasshoppers (Acrididae)". Proceedings of the Royal Entomological Society of London A. 25 (10–12): 115–126. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3032.1950.tb00088.x.
- ^ a b Bonisoli-Alquati, A.; Ostermiller, S.; Beasley, A. E.; Welch, S. M.; Møller, A. P.; Mousseau, T. A. (2018). "Faster Development Covaries with Higher DNA Damage in Grasshoppers (Chorthippus albomarginatus) from Chernobyl". Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. 91 (2): 776–787. doi:10.1086/696005. PMID 29309248. S2CID 41637244.