Dictyophorus spumans

Dictyophorus spumans, the koppie foam grasshopper or rooibaadjie, is a species of grasshopper in the family Pyrgomorphidae indigenous to southern Africa. The name "foaming grasshopper" derives from the insect's ability to produce a toxic foam from its thoracic glands.[2] Its genus Dictyophorus is closely related to Phymateus.

Dictyophorus spumans
Adult above, nymph below
both D. s. spumans in Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, South Africa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Caelifera
Family: Pyrgomorphidae
Genus: Dictyophorus
Species:
D. spumans
Binomial name
Dictyophorus spumans
(Thunberg, 1787)
Synonyms
  • Gryllus spumans
  • Poecilocera spumans
  • Petasia spumans
  • Phymateus spumans
  • Tapesia spumans[1]

Adult males are typically 4.5–5 cm (1.8–2.0 in) long and females typically 5–7 cm (2.0–2.8 in),[3] but can grow up to a length of 8 cm (3.1 in).[4] The neck shield has a warty surface, and the grasshopper's colors are highly variable but usually with at least parts that are contrasting and bright. It is toxic due to the poisons that it sequesters from its diet, which includes a large number of toxic and distasteful plants such as milkweed.[4]

Subspecies
  • D. s. subsp. spumans – South Africa
  • D. s. subsp. ater – northern South Africa and Zimbabwe
  • D. s. subsp. pulchra – eastern South Africa and Mozambique
  • D. s. subsp. servillei – southern Africa
  • D. s. subsp. calceata – southern Africa
  • Eating Aloe flowers
    Eating Aloe flowers
  • Mating, note size difference
    Mating, note size difference
  • Dorsal view of D. s. spumans
    Dorsal view of D. s. spumans
  • Side view of D. s. spumans
    Side view of D. s. spumans
  • D. s. pulchra
    D. s. pulchra
  • Ventral view
    Ventral view
  • Releasing toxic foam from thoracic glands
    Releasing toxic foam from thoracic glands

References
  1. Googlebooks
  2. Whitehouse, Christopher (6 October 2015). "Foaming Grasshoppers". Phillipskop Mountain Reserve. Phillipskop Discovery Trails (Pty) Ltd. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  3. Whitman, D.; Vincent, S. (2008). "Large size as an antipredator defense in an insect". Journal of Orthoptera Research. 17 (2): 353–371. doi:10.1665/1082-6467-17.2.353.
  4. Mike Picker, Charles Griffiths & Alan Weaving (2004). Field guide to insects of South Africa. Struik. ISBN 978-1-77007-061-5.

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