An exceptionally rare pink grasshopper has been spotted in New Zealand's South Island, near Lake Tekapo in the MacKenzie basin. The insect, a female robust grasshopper, was discovered by researchers conducting their annual grasshopper survey for the Department of Conservation.
The robust grasshopper is New Zealand's largest lowland grasshopper and is typically grey or brown, blending in with the river stones of the braided rivers it inhabits. Its unusual pink colouration is thought to be caused by a genetic mutation called erythrism, which results in an overproduction of red pigment and a reduction of the usual natural pigment.
Department of Conservation ranger Jen Schori, who spotted the grasshopper, described the finding as exciting. “I’d heard rumours about a pink one but never seen myself,” she said. “Pink grasshoppers are exceptionally rare.” The species is nationally endangered, with an estimated 250 to 1,000 adult robust grasshoppers remaining, threatened by habitat loss, climate change and predators.
The pink grasshopper was found outside a predator exclusion fence, which was erected in 2018 to create what is believed to be the world's first insect sanctuary. The pink insect will have to fend for herself. Schori noted that female robust grasshoppers are about double the size of males and need ample sunlight to warm up for feeding and egg development. She added that the pink colouration makes the grasshopper more visible to predators, making the sighting particularly special. “Maybe she will breed, and we will see some more pink ones,” she said.
