''Chorthippus albomarginatus'', the lesser marsh grasshopper, is a common

grasshopper Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are among what is possibly the most ancient living group of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago. Grasshopp ...

of European grassland both damp-marshy and (despite its name) dry, including salt-marsh and coastal habitats.

Distribution

The range of the lesser marsh grasshopper extends from Finland and southern Scandinavia in the north to Spain and Italy in the south. It was once present only in the southern parts of the UK but has been expanding its range northwards.

Physical appearance

Females grow to approximately and are larger than males that grow to approximately . 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 ''Pseudochorthippus parallelus'' (often known by its synonym ''Chorthippus parallelus''), the meadow grasshopper, is a common species of grasshopper in the tribe Gomphocerini. It is found in non-arid grasslands throughout the well vegetated ar ...

'', 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

The song is very similar to ''

Chorthippus brunneus ''Chorthippus brunneus'', also known as the common field grasshopper, is a species of grasshopper of the subfamily Gomphocerinae. It was first described by Thunberg in 1815. It is also known as ''Gryllus brunneus'', although this name has not be ...

'', though perhaps a little slower, with 2–6 chirps each lasting approximately half a second. There can be an 'alternation song' between competing males. Females lay eggs at the base of grass blades.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1755270 albomarginatus Orthoptera of Europe Insects described in 1773 Taxa named by Charles De Geer