'Very unusual' pink grasshopper spotted in Wiltshire

I'm always fascinated by the curiosities of the creatures of this world. I've seen millions of grasshoppers, but never a pink one. This is a pretty interesting find. I never even knew that grasshoppers could be pink.

I wonder if they develop the coloring due the what they are eating, similar to how flamingos are pink because of the crustaceans they eat.

www.bbc.co.uk...

The "very unusual" vivid pink insect was spotted by eight-year-old Bailey Smith at Ratfyn Farm in Amesbury.

The insect has been identified as a young female meadow grasshopper by the Wiltshire and Swindon Biological Records Centre (WSBRC).

Vicky James, from the WSRBC, said although it was not a rare species, "only rarely are vivid pink female nymphs seen".

Bailey Smith, who keeps his pony at Ratfyn Farm, said: "I was just pushing my foot through the grass when it jumped out.

"They may not tend to survive for long in the wild as they are easily spotted by predators, so it is a treat to see a grasshopper as beautiful as this."

That is a very pretty creature indeed. The diversity of nature is truly amazing. I found this some time ago and thought it was Photoshopped but apparently this specific type of Mantis goes through 3 stages of color through its life. It starts as red and black then goes to this, orchid pink, and finally a greenish brown. Nature is beautiful indeed.

reply to post by isyeye

I've seen millions of grasshoppers

Not 'millions' maybe a lot but not millions.

I just had to say something because I smile to myself everytime someone says something like 'it broke into a million pieces' or 'there were millions of them'.

Here is a million dots.....
www.vendian.org...

Anyway the pink grasshopper is very cool I wish I had one.

cool thread,,,don't see very many grasshoppers these days......a pink one is really neat, glad they got a pic of it.
do they know what causes it to be pink?????? I thought it was an albino at first...

it could stay pink or turn pinkish purple as an adult or go green......very pretty grasshopper

reply to post by cavalryscout


I'll still say millions.

I've walked through fields of them numerous times in my life and watched them scatter and fly about so thick that they were literally everywhere. I've seen tens of thousands of them at once, so I think if you add up how many I've seen in my life through my adventures, I'm not too far off in saying I've seen "millions".

reply to post by isyeye


Maybe. (but eye don't think so.)

Just because you walk through a field and know they are there doesn't mean you see them.

I live in Phoenix and I know there are a few million people in the city but that doesn't mean I see millions of people.

I was just making a point. Did you see the million dots?


It's still a cool grasshopper if I saw it I would catch it and maybe eat it for it's magical powers.