The lesser #marshgrasshopper #Chorthippus #albomarginatus is distributed from Scandinavia to Central/Southern #Europe, in #Germany mostly in the North. It prefers pastures/# meadows #habitats and is part of a closely related #speciescomplex (O. v. Helversen & V. Vedenina, 2009) and can eg #hybridize with C. #oschei (V.Vedenina, 2012).

©#StefanFWirth #Berlin 2025

Ref
O. von Helversen & V. Vedenina, 2009
http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/22119434-900000269

V. Vedenina, 2012
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01566.x

#Photos
©SF Wirth

Below a #grasshopper nymph of the #Chorthippus #biguttulus #group, including closely related European #species C. biguttulus, C. brunneus, and C. mollis. They cannot be clearly differed #morphologically, only by their #songs. B. Gottsberger & F. Mayer (2019) studied mechanisms of #speciesboundarystabilization between C. brunneus/C. biguttulus, which can #hybridize. But hybrids exhibit #songpreferences of C. biguttulus females.

©#StefanFWirth 2025

Ref
https://doi.org/10.1111/jeb.13490

Photos
S.F. Wirth