This afternoon at the pollinator garden in our laneway, I enjoyed a lovely interlude with a Grasshopper. She definitely showed out for me!
Differential Grasshoppers (fancifully “Herringbone” Grasshoppers) are pretty easy to identify, both by the chevron or herringbone patterns on their upper hind thighs or femurs. Also, below their “knee”, they appear to be wearing yellow socks with black spikes on their lower legs/shins (tibia).
This beauty is a female. You can tell the gender of a Grasshopper by checking the tip of its abdomen: Whereas the male’s is blunt and rounded, the female’s is tapered and split into specialized prong-like valves:
Grasshoppers absolutely love Zinnias, especially during hot, dry weather, like today. While they do love to chew on the bright, tender flower petals, they will eagerly eat the leaves as well, as this young lady was doing in our garden.
The “One-Handed” Hang
Though quite heavy, Differential Grasshoppers are incredibly strong and flexible. What you see in these two shots is neither her hand nor her front arm — it is one of her massive, hind, jumping legs. Using their tarsi, Differential Grasshoppers lock into the micro-texture of a leaf surface with an incredibly strong grip.
Fun Fact: Differential Grasshoppers protect themselves from their predators (mostly birds) using the “Tobacco Defense” — if it feels threatened, the grasshopper secretes a dark brown liquid from its mouth. Gardeners call this “tobacco juice” and, whilst it is completely harmless to humans, it tastes terrible to predators, and forces them to let go!
The Zinnia Climber
A flash of herringbone upon the leaf,
She tastes the green with quiet, rhythmic grace,
Then hangs suspended, mocking gravity,
A single golden leg locked into place.
She wears a coat of polished armor bright,
A waxy sheen that glimmers in the sun,
And listens with her belly to the world,
To hear the summer day when it’s begun.
A heavy queen of gentle autumn days,
She rests among the petals, bright and tall,
Before she leaves her hidden cradle deep,
To wake the sleeping garden in the fall.
’Til next time, y’all…
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