A mysterious face, with eyes hidden behind glasses...
on the underside of an indignant grasshopper.
Differential Grasshopper, Melanoplus differentialis
No hoppers were harmed in the making of this post. And luckily, no rangers were bitten ;)
When one chooses to handle the large grasshoppers one takes the chance of getting gnawed on...
8 comments:
How about getting SPIT on? I seem to remember, in my grasshopper grasping days of yore, getting a handful of greenish-brown "tobacco juice" if we grabbed one.
That's one BIG bug you got there! With big jaws, too. Glad you escaped unharmed.
Woodswalker,
Yep, this is one of the spitters. It didn't deem me spit worthy though, so I escaped unstained.
Great photos! And what a marvelous description of the underside. It IS like a mysterious face hidden behind glasses. Very cool observation!
jason,
Thanks. I have to give credit to the observation of the face to my husband. He pointed it out to me.
When I first glanced at the photo, "bald-faced hornet" sprang to mind, but upon further investigation, I changed my mind and thought "turtle plastron". Never would've guessed "grasshopper belly"!
That is one disapproving look he is giving you in the last photo. I handle Lubber Grasshoppers all the time and have never been spit on or bitten.
Swampy- Seeing the photo of the grasshopper on the sandwich bag gives new meaning to a plague of grasshoppers descending upon a field. Slyvester would surely love to play with one of these guys. That's again for the continuing education about the natural world.
Maineiac
Ellen,
Isn't it fun to take a closer look! I am always amazed at endless variety in the insect world.
Suze,
Yep, he was definitely giving me the evil eye :) You are the 'hopper whisperer! I need your skills as I have been spit upon and nibbled upon quite a few times.
Maineiac,
In her younger days, wonder-dog Hannah liked to chase grasshoppers. These days she just observes them from the porch.
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