Heath grasshopper

Description

Chorthippus vagans, which may be called the heath grasshopper or steppe grasshopper, is a species of grasshopper belonging to the subfamily Gomphocerinae. It is found across the Palearctic through Russia and Kazakhstan, east to Siberia, and north to Denmark. It is rare in the British Isles. In Central Europe they are usually found at altitudes of 300 to 600 m (980 to 1,970 ft). In the French Calcareous Alps, the species is found on Mont Ventoux up to an altitude of 1,900 m (6,200 ft). The steppe grasshopper lives in warm and dry habitats with sparse, low vegetation. Chorthippus is a large genus of acridid grasshoppers with around 230 described species. The genus may be subdivided into subgenera including: Altichorthippus, Chorthippus and Glyptobothrus, with other species not placed.