Today, I spotted a Mottled grasshopper. Its scientific name is Myrmeleotettix maculatus. This insect is found throughout England from April through to October. Its patches of brown and grey provide excellent camouflage in its grassland habitat.  Remarkably, these insects have the ability to breakdown plant materials in their guts without producing greenhouse gases.  Research is currently being undertaken into whether this ability could lead to the development of new types of biofuel.

Myrmeleotettix maculatus (Mottled grasshopper).

A rare but very welcome late summer visitor. A Mottled grasshopper (Myrmeleotettix maculatus). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The Mottled Grasshopper

Grasshopper, crickets and their relatives belong to the insect order Orthoptera.  The ancestors of modern members of this diverse and widespread order are thought to have originated in the Carboniferous.

The Mottled grasshopper thrives in dry, open habitats.  It is widespread in England and, like many insects the warm spring and hot summer have helped numbers increase.  Its markings help to camouflage it amongst dry grass. If it does get spotted by a predator the Mottled grasshopper has a powerful jump.

Grasshoppers and other types of insect such as termites are being carefully studied as they have remarkable digestive systems.  They can break down tough cellulose and lignin in their guts without producing greenhouse gases.  This area of scientific enquiry could lead to alternative biofuel sources to replace fossil fuels.

Mike from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“It was a rare but welcome visitor.  Insects such as grasshoppers are more often heard than seen.  However, we were delighted to spot this Mottled grasshopper.  Its ancestors might have evolved long before grass and other angiosperms, but its ability to digest tough plants might help us to devise new biofuels. It might be small, but insects could have a big role to play in the future of our species.”

So, next time you see a Mottled grasshopper, take a moment to marvel at the amazing natural world that we often overlook.

The award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Prehistoric Animal Models.