Images and Information on the Giant Red-Winged Grasshopper Adult & Juvenile (Tropidacris Cristada)
Wanna see something cool?
This adult Giant Red-Winged Grasshopper is 6-7 inches long from antennae to tip. I imagine that its size makes it a very desirable morsel to birds, rodents, etc. They could spend all day catching flies or just eat one of these guys per week. The Giant Red-Winged Grasshopper protects itself with its hard shell and spiky back legs. It uses it’s powerful legs to kick predators in the face. BAM! Eat something else.
Side view morning light
Notice the protective armor behind the head
The color of the foliage
This is a juvenile of the same insect. They are black and yellow striped and sometimes you see a bit of red when they are growing. The colors are a form of protection. Just like with humans, black and yellow represents possible danger. The young Giant Red-Winged Grasshoppers stay together until a certain size and strength is reached. This makes the danger sign even bigger. I know I would look twice before stepping on a big group of these things. When the grasshoppers are new to this world they also haven’t built up the strength in their back legs yet, but it doesn’t stop them from BAM! trying to kick the camera right in the lens.
It’s kick is quick enough to startle something
(Tropidacris Cristada)
This cool insect along with many others can be found in San Miguel de Matina, Limon Costa Rica. There is another grasshopper here in Costa Rica that people commonly mistake for the Giant Red-Winged Grasshopper. It is purple with orange antennae and much smaller. It is really cool also but is often misidentified as this species. That is is the Taeniopoda Ruficornis.