Sphingonotus octofasciatus
Sphingonotus octofasciatus
moshe_neeman · Yeruham
Key facts in one look
- Group
- Insect, grasshopper
- Family
- Acrididae
- Size
- Males 16.5–24.5 mm, females 25–34.5 mm
- Habitat
- Stony deserts, rocky hills, river banks
- Status in Georgia
- Part of the fauna; localities not specified
- IUCN
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Sphingonotus octofasciatus is a red-winged grasshopper: the hindwing is red at the base, with dark bands in the middle and near the tip. It lives in stony deserts, on rocky hills, in foothills and on conglomerates along river banks. Its range runs from Spain and North Africa through Western and Central Asia to Kazakhstan and India, including the east and south of Transcaucasia. It is part of Georgia's fauna, though its localities in the country are not specified. Females measure 25–34.5 mm and males 16.5–24.5 mm. If you see red flash on the wing as it takes off, look at its banded forewings too.
Identification
Sphingonotus octofasciatus: how to identify it
A medium-sized Sphingonotus with a red-based hindwing. The wing has two dark bands, one in the middle and one near the tip. The forewings show clearly alternating blackish and pale bands, without small speckles.
The base of the hindwing is bright red. A dark band runs across the middle, and the tip is dark or carries a large dark spot. This red base together with the two dark bands is the main feature.
The forewings show clearly alternating blackish and pale bands and lack small dark speckles. The inner side of the hind femur is either yellow with one dark band or dark with two pale bands. The frontal ridge is narrow.
Males measure 16.5–24.5 mm and females 25–34.5 mm; the forewing is 19–27.5 mm in males and 25–37 mm in females. Its size overlaps with other Sphingonotus species. Wing colour and banding are therefore more reliable.
Sphingonotus salinus, which also occurs in eastern Transcaucasia, has a red-based wing and a dark tip as well. Its pronotal median keel is raised at the front into a small crest, and the inner side of its femur is black with one complete pale band. Sphingonotus species can often be told apart reliably only by comparison with accurately identified specimens.
Colour
The hindwing is red at the base, with a dark band in the middle and a dark tip. The forewings show alternating blackish and pale bands. The inner side of the hind femur is yellow with a dark band or dark with pale bands.
Swatches are illustrative. Do not identify a species by colour alone.
It is an insect of stony deserts and of conglomerates along river banks; it also lives on rocky hills and in foothills. In Kazakhstan it is known from the Dzungarian Gate, the Ili foothills, Zhezkazgan and the southern spurs of the Karatau. Its range includes Central Asia, Dzungaria, Western Asia, Iran, Palestine, India, North Africa to Morocco, and Spain. In Transcaucasia it is known from the east and south. It is also part of Georgia's fauna, but its exact localities in the country are not specified.
Like most Sphingonotus species, it lives on the surface of open ground, where there is no dense plant cover. Many Sphingonotus species are tied to a single type of desert; for this one it is stony desert and riverside conglomerates. In Tunisia adult males and females were collected at the end of April.
Related guides
Continue with related pages
Yes, it is part of Georgia's fauna. In Transcaucasia it is known from the east and south. Its exact localities and numbers in Georgia are not specified. It favours stony places with sparse vegetation and river banks.
By the hindwing: red at the base, with a dark band in the middle and a second dark band or spot near the tip. The forewings show clearly alternating blackish and pale bands. The similar red-winged Sphingonotus salinus differs in other features, so a sure identification often needs a specialist.
Males measure 16.5–24.5 mm and females 25–34.5 mm. The forewing is 19–27.5 mm in males and 25–37 mm in females. Females are generally larger than males.
No. It has not been evaluated on the global IUCN Red List (NE) and is not on the 2014 Red List of Georgia. Not being assessed does not mean the species faces no threat.
References
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
