Meadow Grasshopper - Chorthippus parallelus

Length 10-23 mm. Green-coloured but often with brown wings and sometimes entirely brown coloured. Pronotal side-keels only very slightly incurved. Some adult females are a vivid pinkish purple. Males are long-winged, while females are usually short-winged.

Both this species and the Lesser Marsh Grasshopper have broadly parallel pronotal side-keels. The Meadow Grasshopper usually has black 'knees' on its hind legs whereas they are unicoloured in the Lesser Marsh Grasshopper.

It is found amongst long grass, which it eats.

Long season with nymphs hatching in April. Adults appear by June and remain abundant through to September, some may survive into November.

The eggs are laid just below the soil and hatch the next spring.

Common and widespread in Britain.

Locally common in Leicestershire and Rutland.

Locally abundant; prefers damp old grasslands.