pink grasshopper

Is There Any Pink Grasshopper In Nature? (The Answer Will Surprise You)

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Bugs are intimidating. Finding any of them can shake you to the core. Most of the time, we individuals do not like to be surrounded by bugs. Although, this is not the case every time.

Some individuals are fond of bugs that contribute to a major portion of their lives. Bugs are eventually helpful for us in some ways. Although, seeing a grasshopper around yourself can be a sign to run away. Grasshoppers are harmless until their jump can scare you. 

Grasshopper is a bug that appears to be green in color. They carry long thin legs that help them in jumping to greater heights. Many times, we came across grasshoppers appearing in different shades of green.

Though, the thought of seeing them in different colors has surely hit our minds. So, is there any other color in which grasshoppers are seen, or is it just only green? Let’s debug this issue of Pink Grasshopper and what they look like.

Is There Any Pink Grasshopper In Nature?

Recently, researchers have discovered a new species of grasshopper known as Chorthippus Parallelus. The brain-freezing thing about this species is its bright pink color. There are many grasshoppers found on Earth. However, seeing a pink grasshopper can make you go crazy. Finding a pink grasshopper is rare. 

The discovery of pink grasshoppers in the UK has astonished many individuals out there. There is a 1% chance of seeing any pink grasshopper. Now the main question arises why there is a color change found in grasshoppers.

The reason revolves around the genetic mutation that causes the color to change from green to pink. This genetic mutation is known as Erythrism. It is an unusual phenomenon that causes reddish discoloration on the body.

Usually, this phenomenon targets fur, hair, skin, and sometimes eggs also. This is caused by the overproduction of red pigmentation in the body leading to a different body coloration of the species. This genetic disorder can affect any species and leads to the sudden appearance of different body colors. 

pink grasshopper
Pink Grasshopper | Credit: Hirvenkürpa (commons.wikimedia) (CC BY-SA 3.0)

According to the BBC article, Gary Phillips, a photographer who took the photo of this rare pink color creature, said, “I’d never heard of them, I had to proper focus on what I’d seen, and realised it was a pink grasshopper which I thought has got to be rare. If you look closely for them in any meadow, the chances of seeing them are actually very high. It’s amazing to see the beauty of the creatures being appreciated,”

Pink Katydid

Similar to a pink grasshopper, pink katydid is a color morph of the green katydid that is a close family member of grasshoppers.

This little species of grasshoppers belongs to long-horned grasshoppers species. They show a vibrant pink color that perfectly aligns with the other environmental colors.

Pallid-winged Grasshopper

Pallid-winged Grasshopper
Pallid-winged Grasshopper

Pallid-winged Grasshopper, scientific name, Trimerotropis pallidipennis, is a common, slightly pink color grasshopper with a rusty pink body and brown patterns all over it.

As mentioned in Wikipedia, these grasshoppers are native to the deserts of western America, Columbia, and Argentina. They are mostly active during summer, and their body hues help them camouflage against gravel surfaces. They can grow up to 37 mm (1.5 inches).

Erythrism- Detailed Analysis

Color deviation is a natural process that can hit anyone in this world. Be it a human, animal, or any insect; you can find this disease affecting them. So what is Erythrism? Let’s have a look at it.

Erythrism is an unusual phenomenon that is caused due to the lack of melanin/black pigment in the body. On the contrary, excessive of the same can cause a reddish appearance. This phenomenon usually targets the fur, shell, and hair skin of the organisms.

Although, there are similarities that can be discovered in other organisms like Albinism, Leucism, and Melanism. Can you figure out the differences in these mentioned skin disorders? Let’s find out.

Albinism: It is a skin disorder that shows a complete absence of pigment responsible for body coloration. In Simple words, it is a genetic disorder due to which the body is incapable of producing melanin pigment in the skin, eyes, and hairs. This genetic disorder causes an individual to produce a low amount or no melanin at all. Although, it is quite rare it can happen to any living being.

Leucism: Leucism is another phenomenon in which a living being experiences partial loss of body pigmentations in their body. It causes white patches, spots, and uneven body colorations all over their bodies. However, it doesn’t affect the pigments in the eyes. Leucism is recessive in nature as compared to albinism.

Melanism: In reverse of albinism, melanism is a genetic disorder commonly found in living beings. This disorder is caused by the excessive production of melanin that results in dark pigmentation in the body. The bodies being affected by melanism show dark body colorations.

Other Colorful Grasshopper

Grasshoppers appear to be in different colors that resemble a specific meaning according to their colors. Mostly, grasshoppers have one dominating color that covers their entire colorful body. Here are some colorful grasshoppers found in the world are:

  • Red Milkweed Locust
  • Green Grasshopper
  • Eastern Lubber Grasshopper
  • Orange Grasshoppers
  • Spotted Bird Grasshopper
  • Brown Grasshopper
  • Gray Bird Grasshopper

Conclusion

The presence of pink-colored grasshoppers is 1% in general. However, if you are lucky, you can get to see them in real. The different body coloration is the after-effect of genetic mutation that leads to the presence of pigments in the body.

Similarly, for pink-colored grasshoppers, there is a sudden genetic mutation that leads to the dominance of pink color on them. We hope that you liked this article. We will be a back with another interesting article soon. Till then, stay tuned with us.

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