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

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur na ...

both damp-marshy and (despite its name) dry, including

salt-marsh A salt marsh or saltmarsh, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It is dominate ...

and coastal habitats.

Distribution

The range of the lesser marsh grasshopper extends from

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

and southern

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

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'', 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'', 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