Gumleaf Grasshopper vs Brown Locust

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Gumleaf Grasshopper Brown Locust
Scientific Name Goniaea australasiae Locustana pardalina
Order Orthoptera Orthoptera
Family Acrididae Acrididae
Size Body 40-55 mm 30-45 mm
Habitat Forests Heathland
Diet Herbivores Omnivores
Regions Australia South Africa (Karoo region), Namibia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Gumleaf Grasshopper

A well-camouflaged grasshopper whose flattened body and brown coloring perfectly mimic a dead eucalyptus leaf. It remains motionless on the forest floor to avoid detection.

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Did You Know?

Its leaf-shaped body is one of the most convincing examples of plant mimicry among Australian insects.

Brown Locust

A medium-sized brown locust endemic to southern Africa that periodically swarms in the Karoo region. Nymphs are known as voetgangers (foot walkers).

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Did You Know?

Swarms of brown locusts have plagued South African farmers since the 1700s and remain a major agricultural threat.