Giant Valanga (species: Valanga irregularis) in Lizard Island area: all known taxa (Lizard Island Field Guide)
Valanga irregularis
Giant Valanga


©University of Guelph students: Valanga irregularis at Lizard Island. Thanks to David Rentz for the id.

©Simon Gingins: Valanga irregularis mating at Lizard Island.

©Univ of Guelph students: Valanga irregularis at Lizard Island. Thanks to David Rentz for the id.
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Insecta
Order Orthoptera
Family Acrididae
Genus Valanga
Species Valanga irregularis

Colours

                                            

Distinguishing features

This is Australia's largest grasshopper and the most common grasshopper at Lizard Island.

Colour is variable: green, brown and rarely yellow/orange with a variable amount of mottling but never with a pale stripe along the middle of the back. Large spines on the rear tibia are red or orange with black tips. Antennae are dark.

Nymphs are bright green and mottled, often with two darker bands on the rear femur. They may occur in great numbers on favoured food trees including Celtis paniculata.

Size

  • Up to 8 cm (estimated body length)

Wingspan

  • Wingspan data is not yet available.

Synonyms

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

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