Foam Grasshopper vs Green Oak Tortrix
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Foam Grasshopper | Green Oak Tortrix |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Dictyophorus spumans | Tortrix viridana |
| Order | Orthoptera | Lepidoptera |
| Family | Pyrgomorphidae | Tortricidae |
| Size | 50-80 mm | 20-24 mm wingspan |
| Habitat | Heathland | Woodlands |
| Diet | Herbivores | Herbivores |
| Regions | Southern Africa | Europe, Western Asia, North Africa |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Foam Grasshopper
A large black and red grasshopper that produces a foul-smelling toxic foam when disturbed. It is one of Africa's most recognizable grasshoppers.
Did You Know?
The toxic foam it produces from its thoracic glands contains cardiac glycosides concentrated from the milkweeds it eats.
Green Oak Tortrix
A small bright green moth with pale hindwings that is the most important oak defoliator in Europe. Outbreak years can turn whole oak canopies brown by June.
Did You Know?
Defoliation by this moth has shaped oak woodland ecology for thousands of years.