Heath Grasshopper vs Lichen Katydid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Heath Grasshopper Lichen Katydid
Scientific Name Chorthippus vagans Dysonia sp. (Dysonia magdalenae)
Order Orthoptera Orthoptera
Family Acrididae Tettigoniidae
Size 12-18mm 30-45 mm
Habitat Heathland Mountains
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Europe Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia
Conservation Near Threatened Least Concern

Heath Grasshopper

A small brown grasshopper confined to heathland. One of the rarest grasshoppers in Britain.

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Did You Know?

Confined to a handful of heathland sites in Dorset and threatened by heathland loss and scrub encroachment.

Lichen Katydid

A Central American katydid with a mottled gray-green body that perfectly mimics lichen on bark. It is nearly invisible when pressed against a tree trunk.

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Did You Know?

It feeds on the same lichen it mimics, making it both predator and impersonator of its food source.