Myrmeleotettix maculatus (Thunberg, 1815)

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Status: British Isles native species.

Description: A small variable grasshopper (12 described colour forms). Clubbed antennae of males and thickened antennal tips of females are distinctive, both lack white tips. The side keels of the pronotum are deeply indented.

Size: 12-19 mm

Wings: Winged; strong flight over short distances.

Stridulation: A sequence of short buzzing sounds lasting 10-15 seconds (begins softly, reaches a climax and then stops abruptly)

Recordings: Note, your ability to play these recordingsdepends upon the configuration of your computer and browser.

The Mottled Grasshopper can be easily heard by ear but is recorded here with a bat detector.
Source: Malcolm Lee

Food: Herbivorous, mainly grasses.

Habitat: Dry situations exposed to the sun with short turf and bare ground, usually on free draining soils on sand, gravels chalk and other limestone. Typical locations are the steep sides of disused quarries, road and rail cuttings, heaths and coastal dunes. Present on several small, off-shore islands.

Phenology: Nymphs hatch from end of April to June. Adults appear by mid June through to October.

Distribution: The records held by the National Biodiversity Network are shown in the map below.

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Only the following datasets are included:

• Biological Records Centre - Grasshopper and Cricket (Orthoptera) and related species records from Britain and Ireland to 2007

Other datasets on the gateway may hold additional information.