The very rare pink grasshopper recorded by an amateur photographer – 07/12/2023 – Science

An amateur photographer found a pleasant — and colorful — surprise in his garden in Wales: he spotted a rare pink grasshopper while pruning his dahlias.

Despite its small size, the grasshopper’s hot pink stood out as the insect hopped around in the backyard in the village of Llandegfan on the Isle of Anglesey.

“I had never heard of them,” said Gary Phillips, 65, who crept through the garden with his camera to snap some pictures.

“I had to focus very closely on what I had seen, and I realized it was a pink grasshopper — which I thought was pretty rare.”

Wild locusts are common across the UK and present in other European countries as well as some in Asia. It is usually green, brown, or a combination of the two.

On rare occasions, a genetic mutation causes them to turn pink.

The rarity is explained, in part, because their vivid color makes it harder for these insects to hide from predators, which makes them survive for less time.

Paul Hetherington, from the conservation organization Buglife, explains that the grasshopper’s pink color is caused by a recessive gene that can be passed down from generation to generation.

The phenomenon is known as erythrism, which leads to the production of too much red pigment and too little black.

‘Simply wonderful’

The changes in the color of the grass as the seasons change can make or break the sighting of the pink grasshopper.

Hetherington says it’s rare to spot one if you’re not actively looking.

“If you look for them in any lawn, the chances of seeing them are really high,” he says, adding that he has seen three himself.

“It’s incredible to see the beauty of these creatures. They are just wonderful.”