Have you ever seen a pink grasshopper? Though the meadow grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus) is typically distinguished by its green and brown coloration, a genetic mutation called erythrism leaves some individuals looking pretty in pink! Erythrism is the overproduction of red pigment. While these rare insects are beautiful to look at, pink grasshoppers are hindered by their vivid coloring because it makes hiding from predators much more difficult.
Photo: Back from the Brink, CC BY-NC 2.0, flickr (Meadow grasshopper nymph pictured)
[VIDEO TAKEN: SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2023 | Video ID: A video of a black, yellow, white, and red lubber grasshopper on a piece of paper, wriggling its abdomen and opening and closing the dorsal and ventral valves of its ovipositor in a way that makes it look as if the back half of the animal is its own snapping creature /End IDs.]
Encountered this grasshopper and scooped it up with a letter! Which is about when I noticed it exhibiting this fascinating behavior! It's freaky but very interesting!
Here's my ode to mint chocolate treats like grasshopper cookies and grasshopper pie for Giant Robot Store's Sweet Tooth show, open now!
I love this little guy! The show will run till April 7th, so go check him out in person if you can and see all the other fun work inspired by sweets and snacks 🍭🍪🍩🍰🍬🍦
If you're interested in purchasing this piece, you can find it here.