Fontana Grasshopper (Trimerotropis fontana)
I found this handsome Grasshopper (Acrididae, Orthoptera) on the chipseal road in our canyon today. I believe it's genus Trimerotropis in the Oedipodinae group of Band-winged Grasshopper. I thought it might be a Thalassica Grasshopper (Trimerotropis thalassica), but Allice tells me that it's a Fontana Grasshopper (Trimerotropis fontana) - see her comments below. Well, they are similar. This one has blue hind tibia and pale wings when it takes flight. Compare this photo of (maybe) the same thing, and see how different in color they can be. (San Marcos Pass, 24 July 2017)
It was downright cool today, only in the 70s. It was also quite breezy from both the north and south. The day started with a bit of marine layer fog spilling over the mountains into our canyon, accompanied by "fog winds". The fog quickly dissipated, but the wind stuck around. My grandkids are flying down from Portland, Oregon tonight to stay with us for a week or more. That's cool - but it may change my photos for the rest of the week!
Fontana Grasshopper (Trimerotropis fontana)
I found this handsome Grasshopper (Acrididae, Orthoptera) on the chipseal road in our canyon today. I believe it's genus Trimerotropis in the Oedipodinae group of Band-winged Grasshopper. I thought it might be a Thalassica Grasshopper (Trimerotropis thalassica), but Allice tells me that it's a Fontana Grasshopper (Trimerotropis fontana) - see her comments below. Well, they are similar. This one has blue hind tibia and pale wings when it takes flight. Compare this photo of (maybe) the same thing, and see how different in color they can be. (San Marcos Pass, 24 July 2017)
It was downright cool today, only in the 70s. It was also quite breezy from both the north and south. The day started with a bit of marine layer fog spilling over the mountains into our canyon, accompanied by "fog winds". The fog quickly dissipated, but the wind stuck around. My grandkids are flying down from Portland, Oregon tonight to stay with us for a week or more. That's cool - but it may change my photos for the rest of the week!