Psophus stridulus (Linnaeus, 1758)


Psophus stridulus: Male (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, August 2012) [N] Psophus stridulus: Male (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, August 2012) [N] Psophus stridulus: Male (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, August 2012) [N] Psophus stridulus: Male (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, August 2012) [N] Psophus stridulus: Male (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, August 2012) [N] Psophus stridulus: Male (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, August 2012) [N] Psophus stridulus: Male (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, August 2012) [N] Psophus stridulus: Male (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, August 2012) [N] Psophus stridulus: Male (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, August 2012) [N] Psophus stridulus: Male (eastern Swabian Alb 2008) [N] Psophus stridulus: Female (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, early October 2012) [N] Psophus stridulus: Female (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, early October 2012) [N] Psophus stridulus: Habitat: nutrient-poor grassland near the forest [N]

Nutrition:
The species feeds especially on herbaceous plants, rarely also grasses.

Habitat:
Psophus stridulus inhabits nutrient-poor grasslands, juniper heathlands, alpine meadows, mountain slopes, clear, sunny pine forests with Erica carnea (Alps), gravel banks of Alpine rivers (here rather in more vegetation-rich areas than Bryodemella tuberculata), mostly near forests. Psophus stridulus does not necessarily need large open ground spots, but low and gappy areas for oviposition.

Life cycle:
Apparently the eggs take two winters until they hatch, which occurs in several Ensifera, but also more or less regularly in other Caelifera also. The adults occur from late June or July until well into October or even November.

Endangerment: strongly endangered

Endangerment factors:
North of the Alps Psophus stridulus is endangered due to loss of suitable nutrient-poor grasslands. In the Alps, the grasshopper is less threatened. In Valais, it is common up to more than 2000m above sea level, in the Bavarian Allgäu region, however, only until about 1700 or 1800m asl.

Remarks:
Psophus stridulus occurs from the Spanish foothills of the Pyrenees across central and parts of Southern Europe to East Asia (Korea).

The males are very conspicuous within the grasslands areas by their very typical buzzing while at flight.