Description

• Sphenarium histrio is a medium-sized, flightless gaudy grasshopper in the family Pyrgomorphidae and subfamily Pyrgomorphinae. It has a stout body, relatively short antennae, strong hind legs, and greatly reduced wings. Colouration is variable but commonly includes green, yellowish, brown, and darker markings, giving it good camouflage among foliage and dry vegetation.

Range

• Sphenarium histrio is native to Mexico and extends southward into Guatemala. It is associated particularly with southern Mexico, including Guerrero and the Pacific coastal lowlands and adjacent Balsas and Sierra Madre del Sur regions. It occurs in the broader Zihuatanejo area.

Habitat

• It inhabits warm environments ranging from tropical dry forest and woodland to scrub, grassland, agricultural areas, and other habitats with abundant herbaceous vegetation. Populations occur across a broad elevational range, from near sea level into the highlands, although local habitat varies considerably.

Diet

• Sphenarium histrio is a polyphagous herbivore, feeding on grasses, herbs, leaves, and other green vegetation. It can also feed on cultivated plants, including crops, and is among the Mexican grasshoppers commonly consumed as chapulines.