Variegated Grasshopper vs Black Earwig

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Variegated Grasshopper Black Earwig
Scientific Name Zonocerus variegatus Chelisoches morio
Order Orthoptera Dermaptera
Family Pyrgomorphidae Chelisochidae
Size 30-50mm 15-20 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Herbivores Fruit Feeders
Regions Africa Asia, Oceania
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Variegated Grasshopper

A brightly colored grasshopper with striking patterns of yellow, green, black, and orange. It feeds on toxic plants and sequesters the toxins for defense. It forms large aggregations.

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Did You Know?

It deliberately eats toxic plants to make itself poisonous, and its bright colors warn predators of this.

Black Earwig

A glossy black earwig with reddish legs commonly found in tropical regions. It is often associated with banana plantations and palm trees.

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Did You Know?

The black earwig has been spread throughout the tropics via the banana trade and is now pantropical in distribution.