Stats

Lifespan: Under 1 yr
Size: Large
Diet: Herbivore
Activity: Diurnal
Social: Solitary
Biome: Temperate grassland
Range: North America
Movement: Hopping
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Warning Colors
Status: Common

About

A large, flightless grasshopper of the southeastern US, sporting bold yellow-and-black or all-black-and-red warning colors that advertise its toxic, foul-tasting defense chemicals. Its stubby, undersized wings leave it unable to fly, so it defends itself by hissing, spraying a foul foam, and secreting toxins absorbed from the toxic plants it eats.

Life cycle

1.
egg
A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2.
juvenile
An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3.
subadult
A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4.
adult
Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Family: Romaleidae
Genus: Romalea
Species: Romalea microptera