ORTHOPTERA > CAELIFERA > Acrididae (Grasshoppers) > Gomphocerinae

A widespread, although not particularly common, small to medium-sized grasshopper with an overall length (head to wingtips) of 12-19mm; the females generally being slightly larger than the males. They are an extremely variable species with some being quite drab, whilst others can be particularly colourful. I'm not sure if there's a typical form as such but, from my limited experience, the most frequently seen individuals have a cryptic brownish colouration often interspersed with darker markings, not dissimilar to the common forms of the Field Grasshopper [Chorthippus brunneus]. The more brightly coloured individuals can be green, sometimes with white patterning, or multi-coloured with combinations of green, yellow, ginger, brown or red, with black and/or white markings. Colours are contained to the head, pronotum and top of the hind femurs, not to the wings. Sexually mature males usually have some red colouration of the abdomen.

Mottled Grasshoppers have very strongly incurved pronotal side keels and a proportionally short pronotum that's roughly the same length as the head. The males have clubbed, slightly out-turned antennae, whereas the female's antennae are only slightly thickened towards the tip and easily missed. Both sexes are fully-winged and there is no costal bulge along the lower margin of the forewings.

The species favours dry, parched, sunny habitats with bare ground and sparce vegetation. They avoid shade and are known to be intolerant of damp. The nature of the habitat usually means that Myrmeleotettix maculatus is only likely to be found in association with Chorthippus brunneus. Whilst the male Mottled can be distinguished by its smaller size and clubbed antennae, there can be a size overlap and confusion between female Mottled and male Field, although the obviously longer wings and antennae of the male Field Grasshopper together with any red markings on the abdomen should separate the species.

Nymphs begin hatching from late April and continue to do so until early June, at which time the early adults should be starting to appear; later adults will usually persist through to October.

The 'song' of the Mottled Grasshopper is described as bursts of sound lasting 10-20 seconds or so, starting very quietly and steadily, and then increasing in volume, before abruptly stopping. It has a swishing or wiping quality that could be likened to the sound of sandpapering.