Vegetable Grasshopper

Vegetable Grasshopper (Atractomorpha similis)

Atractomorpha similis

Biology

The Vegetable Grasshopper is a minor pest in vegetable gardens, feeding on low, broad-leaved plants in grassy habitats and well-watered gardens. It is found from northern and eastern Australia, south to southern New South Wales. This inconspicuous grasshopper relies on camouflage as a defence against predators and is reluctant to hop or fly.

Identification

Length about 40 mm. The Vegetable Grasshopper has a green compact body that tapers towards both ends.

It belongs to the Family Pyrgomorphidae that contains only 25 species in Australia. The genus Atractomorpha is also found in Africa, Asia, and across the Pacific, with 3 species in Australia.

Queensland Museum's Find out about... is proudly supported by the Thyne Reid Foundation and the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation.