The Carolina Grasshopper in a species I see all over the place. Usually, they are shades of grey. However, it’s not too uncommon to see a yellow or orange one hopping about too. But why is that? I’d like to know why there is such variation in colour between members of a species that all occupy the s…

Any given habitat isn’t uniform. There are always new leaves, old ones, variations in shape, size, color, etc. In addition to many species, in particular those in the locust family, having a great deal of phenotypic plasticity at different phases of their lives, and in response to external factors…

Pigment plasticity is the term I’ve seen for this. Color changes can happen after each molt as the hopper matures and it might be tied to the different microhabitats the insect is using as it matures or changes in diet. Serotonin also seems to be involved in triggering swarming behavior in some sp…

[image] earthknight: to ripen or flower at a slightly different time also why local farmers collecting seed varieties for their crops, is more important than Big Ag’s GM one size fits all NOT approach.

Here’s a good example of what I’m talking about. [Two Lovely Locusts - That Bug Guy] https://inaturalist.ca/observations/137896557

Colour Variation in Grasshoppers - Why?

Nature Talk

That_Bug_Guy August 9, 2022, 3:22pm 5

My questions have been answered! As a side note, the grey variation of the Carolina Grasshopper seems to be the dominate form in my area.

Thank you!

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Colour Variation in Grasshoppers - Why?

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