More than 2200 species of the wild flora and fauna photographed in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico and the surrounding area.
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Grasshoppers of Zihuatanejo
INFRAORDER ACRIDIDEA
-Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)
-Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)
-Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)
-Grasshoppers, Crickets, and Katydids (Order Orthoptera)
-Grasshoppers, Locusts, and Allies (Suborder Caelifera)
-Grasshoppers (Infraorder Acrididea)
-Short-horned Grasshoppers and Locusts (Superfamily Acridoidea)
-Short-horned Grasshoppers (Family Acrididae)
-Bandwing Grasshoppers (Subfamily Oedipodinae)
-Tribe Arphiini
-Genus Lactista
Lactista species have a robust yet streamlined body with a fairly upright head (not slant-faced). Their body coloration is usually gray, tan, brown, or mottled, blending well with soil, rocks, and dry vegetation. When at rest, they appear cryptic, but in flight they reveal conspicuously banded hind wings, often with dark cross-bands and paler bases or margins—typical of band-winged grasshoppers. When approached, Lactista grasshoppers usually flush suddenly with a loud, crackling flight, a hallmark of band-winged grasshoppers. They often fly a considerable distance before landing. Some species may produce audible wing sounds during flight, and males may also stridulate during courtship.
Lactista Bandwing Grasshoppers
Lactista (Genus)
Description
Lactista is a genus of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae and subfamily Oedipodinae. Species are generally medium-sized, robust grasshoppers with relatively broad bodies, short antennae, strong hind legs, and well-developed wings. Their colouration is typically brown, grey, or tan, often providing excellent camouflage against soil, dry vegetation, and leaf litter.
Range
Lactista is a New World genus distributed primarily in tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, with species occurring in Mexico and Central America. Suitable species occur in Guerrero and may be encountered around Zihuatanejo in appropriate open and semi-open habitats.
Habitat
These grasshoppers are associated with warm, sunny environments including tropical dry forest, scrub, grassland, savanna, forest edges, clearings, and disturbed areas with patches of bare ground. They often remain close to the ground where their subdued colouration makes them difficult to detect.
Diet
Lactista species are primarily herbivorous, feeding on grasses, leaves, and other green plant material. They may consume a variety of low-growing plants according to the vegetation available in their habitat.