Psophus is a monotypicgenus of grasshopper of the familyAcrididae, subfamily Oedipodinae and in the tribe Locustini. The one species in the genus is Psophus stridulus, commonly known as the rattle grasshopper.
Description
Psophus stridulus can reach a length of 23–25 millimetres (0.9–1.0 in) in the males, of 26–40 millimetres (1.0–1.6 in) in the females. The basic colouration of the body varies from brown to grey–ochre or black, with lighter spots. The pronotum is strongly convex. These grasshoppers are winged, but wings are short and unfit for flight in females, fully developed in males. The hindwings are bright red-orange, with a black apex. The adults occur from July or August up to October.
Subspecies
Psophus stridulus samniticus Baccetti, 1958
Psophus stridulus stridulus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Distribution
This species can be found in Central and Southern Europe, in the eastern Palearctic realm (Siberia, Russian Far East, Middle Asia, China, Mongolia, Eastern Asia), and in the Near East.
Habitat
This species lives mainly in arid and rocky open areas, mostly in mountainous regions, at an elevation up to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level. It is known as a xeric specialist because of this, and often interacts with other species like Zygaena ephialtes in these environments.[1]
