20-6-2025 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - DESERT SAND GRASSHOPPER (Sphingonotus rubescens)

Sphingonotus rubescens is a species of band-winged grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is found in the Palearctic.

Sphingonotus rubescens inhabits rocky, stony or sandy terrain of all kinds, such as rocky slopes, dunes or ravines.

The adults can be observed almost all year round. Eggs are laid in the ground.

Sphingonotus rubescens is difficult to separate from related species, such as Sphingonotus caerulans. 

A thermophilic species, it is indifferent to substrate type. It generally prefers steppe or subdesert environments, always with a high degree of dryness and completely or almost completely devoid of vegetation, preferring flat, gently sloping terrain where sunlight is greatest. Its altitude range extends from sea level in numerous locations along the Mediterranean coast to very high altitudes that can exceed 1,900 m. Imagoes can be observed year-round.

Distribution of Sphingonotus rubescens includes the Iberian Peninsula, Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira, North Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Türkiye to India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia.

Grasshopper with a body length of about 25 mm and a wingspan of about 50 mm. Brownish coloration. Narrow vertex with a marked keel; forehead with four well-defined keels. Elliptical eyes. Thin antennae with several blackish bands. Prothorax with a very slight keel; very short anterior part; rounded posterior edge, barely angular. Chest and lower abdomen pale yellowish. Hind femora with an interrupted blackish band on the inner side, and a row of five blackish spots on the outer side. Tegmina with numerous irregular rings, formed by black veins. Ashy-hyaline wings with black veins.

18-10-2024 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - DESERT SAND GRASSHOPPER (Sphingonotus rubescens)

Sphingonotus rubescens is a species of band-winged grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is found in the Palearctic.

Sphingonotus rubescens inhabits rocky, stony or sandy terrain of all kinds, such as rocky slopes, dunes or ravines.

The adults can be observed almost all year round. Eggs are laid in the ground.

Sphingonotus rubescens is difficult to separate from related species, such as Sphingonotus caerulans. The distribution ranges from the Canary Islands and Madeira across the northern half of Africa and the Mediterranean to India.

30-7-2023 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - DESERT SAND GRASSHOPPER (Sphingonotus rubescens)

Sphingonotus rubescens is a species of band-winged grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is found in the Palearctic.

3-9-2019 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - DESERT SAND GRASSHOPPER (Sphingonotus rubescens)

Updated as of January 2026, the Desert Sand Grasshopper (Sphingonotus rubescens) remains a widely distributed Palearctic insect. Recent taxonomic reviews and species distribution modeling highlight its stability and expanded presence in new regions. 

Key Facts & 2026 Updates

Widespread Distribution: Its range now includes confirmed records from at least four additional countries as of recent years, extending from the Atlantic Islands (Canaries, Madeira) across North Africa and Southern Europe to Central Asia and as far as the Socotra Archipelago in Yemen.

Scientific Classification: It belongs to the family Acrididae and subfamily Oedipodinae (band-winged grasshoppers).

Distinctive Appearance:

Body: Approximately 25mm long with a brownish, cryptic coloration that blends into sandy environments.

Head/Antennae: Features a four-keeled head and short, black-banded antennae.

Wings: Grayish-hyaline (transparent) wings with characteristic black veins and irregular rings.

Habitat & Climate Resilience: Thrives in arid, rocky, or sandy terrains. Recent modeling indicates high climatic stability for this species, suggesting that its current distribution was shaped by stable migratory pathways through both historical and mid-Holocene climatic shifts.

Behavioral Traits:

Activity: Adults are active nearly year-round in warmer regions.

Reproduction: Females deposit eggs directly into the soil.

Communication: Males utilize sound production (crepitation or stridulation) for courtship rituals.

Subspecies: Six subspecies are recognized globally. One of the most frequently cited is S. rubescens rubescens, commonly documented in locations like the Canary Islands.

Research Note: It is notoriously difficult to distinguish from its close relative, Sphingonotus caerulans, requiring detailed morphological or genetic analysis for certain identification.