The Wide-winged Dotted Grasshopper (Brachycrotaphus tryxalicerus) is a slant-faced grasshopper primarily found across Africa, SE Spain, and Sicily. It inhabits hot, dry, and semi-arid lowlands and relies exclusively on specific savanna-type grasses like Hyparrhenia hirta for both food and shelter.
Key Behavioral and Ecological Facts
Vertical Camouflage: Because its host plants typically grow in dense stands, the grasshopper has adapted to rest vertically along the stems and leaves to evade predators.
Slant-faced Appearance: Classified under the subfamily Gomphocerinae, it features an elongated, slanted head shape.
Habitat Specificity: It is highly dependent on specific grass ecosystems, earning it the alternative name "Savanna Grasshopper".
Mediterranean Presence: While widely distributed in Africa, it is one of the few afrotropical species to also inhabit the southern Mediterranean, with confirmed populations in Sicily and Sardinia.
