Description

• Heliastus sumichrasti is a band-winged grasshopper in the family Acrididae and subfamily Oedipodinae. It has a slender, streamlined body with a strongly slanting face, relatively long wings, and powerful hind legs. Its usual colouration is tan, grey-brown, or yellowish, often with subtle darker markings that provide effective camouflage among dry grasses and open ground. The hind tibiae have contrasting pale, dark, and reddish bands, while the hind wings can be bright yellow.

Range

• Heliastus sumichrasti ranges from the southern United States through much of Mexico and Central America to Colombia and Venezuela. In Mexico it occurs along both Pacific and Gulf-side regions, including Guerrero, and it can be encountered around Zihuatanejo in suitable open habitats.

Habitat

• It is associated with open, sunny environments such as dry grassland, savanna, scrub, forest clearings, roadsides, and sparsely vegetated areas. In the Zihuatanejo region it is particularly suited to dry grassy areas where its subdued body colour provides camouflage against the ground and vegetation.

Diet

• Heliastus sumichrasti is primarily herbivorous, feeding on grasses and other low-growing vegetation. Like other band-winged grasshoppers, it uses its powerful mandibles to consume plant leaves and stems while moving through open vegetation.