Oedaleus decorus (Germar, 1875)


Oedaleus decorus: Female (France, Crau, late September 2018) [N] Oedaleus decorus: Female (France, Crau, late September 2018) [N] Oedaleus decorus: Female (Hungary, Veszprém, late July 2020) [N] Oedaleus decorus: Copulation (Hungary, Veszprém, late July 2020) [N] Oedaleus decorus: Female (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [N] Oedaleus decorus: Female (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [N] Oedaleus decorus: Male (Mount Olympus, Greece) [N] Oedaleus decorus: Female (Mount Olympus, Greece) [N] Oedaleus decorus: Female dorsal (Olympus) [N] Oedaleus decorus: Male (Alpilles, Provence) [N] Oedaleus decorus: Female (Alpilles, Provence) [N] Oedaleus decorus: Habitat in the Alpilles (Provence, France) [N] Oedaleus decorus: Habitat (France, Crau, late September 2018) [N] Oedaleus decorus: Habitat (France, Crau, late September 2018) [N] Oedaleus decorus: Habitat (Hungary, Veszprém, late July 2020) [N] Oedaleus decorus: Habitat in a dry sandy grassland (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [N]

Nutrition:
Grasses and herbs, also moss.

Habitat:
Oedaleus decorus inhabits dry grasslands, rocky slopes and similar places. Important requisits are open soil spots as the insects need hot microclimate.

Life cycle:
Adults occur from June to October. The eggs are hibernating as with most Acrididae. Eggs are deposited in dry, loose soil.

Endangerment factors:
In the direct Mediterranean region, Oedaleus decorus is still relatively common, but also in decline by habitat loss. I met Oedaleus decorus in the Alpilles (Provence) and the Greek Olympus. In Central Europe Oedaleus decorus is one of the rarest species and is found only in extreme locations such as some rocky steppes in the Valais or pannonical grasslands in Hungary and E-Austria (here extinct except for the Steinfeld). In central Europe the insect is highly endangered (intensification, viticulture, bush encroachment, fragmentation, eutrophication, abandonment). Oedaleus decorus is lacking in Germany.

Remarks:
Oedaleus decorus occurs from the whole Mediterranean to Central Asia. To the north, it reaches some dry inner Alpine valleys such as the Valais and E-Austria.