South African grasshoppers
Location: Cape Town, SA
January 23, 2011 12:14 pm
Hi,
I spotted this pair of grasshoppers in the foothills of Table Mountain. Would be interested in any info you can give.
Signature: Thanks – Simon
Dear Simon,
We are quite thrilled to post your photo of mating Toxic Milkweed Grasshoppers in the family Pyrgomorphidae. They are also known as Foaming Grasshoppers or Gaudy Grasshoppers. Many species are highly toxic because they are able to store the toxins from the milkweed leaves they eat.
Update: August 2, 2014
Thanks to a new posting today, we are able to identify these mating Toxic Milkweed Grasshoppers as Phymateaus morbillosus, commonly called Common Milkweed Locusts.
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination