About Psophus stridulus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Psophus stridulus (Linnaeus, 1758) displays different body lengths by sex: males reach 23–25 millimetres (0.9–1.0 in), while females reach 26–40 millimetres (1.0–1.6 in). The body's basic colour ranges from brown to grey-ochre or black, marked with lighter spots. The pronotum of this grasshopper is strongly convex. All individuals are winged, but females have short wings that cannot support flight, while males have fully developed wings. The hindwings are bright red-orange with a black apex. Adult Psophus stridulus are active from July or August through October. This species occurs in Central and Southern Europe, the eastern Palearctic realm (including Siberia, the Russian Far East, Middle Asia, China, Mongolia, and Eastern Asia), and the Near East. Its main habitat consists of arid, rocky, open areas, most often in mountainous regions, at elevations up to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level. It is classified as a xeric specialist due to this habitat preference, and it often co-occurs with other species such as Zygaena ephialtes in these environments.
