Gumleaf Grasshopper - Goniaea australasiae

Family Acrididae

This page contains pictures and information about the Gumleaf Grasshoppers that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.


Body length 50mm

The Gumleaf Grasshopper is brown in colour, camouflages as a dry gum leaf. They are also known as Dead Leaf Grasshoppers. We usually find them on the ground with the dry Gum tree leaves when bushwalking in Eucalyptus forest.



Adult is characteristic by the prominent arched crest on thorax, it is sharp, together with the colour, resemble dry gum leaf. We found the above adult grasshopper in the gum tree forest in Mt Cotton. The grasshopper usually resting on ground among the dead dry leaves.



Both male and female of Gumleaf Grasshoppers are fully winged. Males are smaller in size. When disturbed, they jump and fly to about a few meters away. When flying, we saw their bright yellow-orange abdomen and hind wings.



This species can be confused with the Slender Gum Leaf Grasshopper which has a distinct cut on the median carina of the pronotum (the crest of thorax).



They usually rest on ground among dry fallen leaves during the day. They move up and feed on green leaves during the night.






Nymph, 3rd instars, body length 15mm 5th instars

When bushwalking in White Hill, we found two Gum Leaf Grasshopper nymphs, they have two different colour forms. One was greyish-brown and the other was orange-brown, same as the adult. They feed on both dry and fresh gum leaves.

Reference:
1. Grasshopper Country - the Abundant Orthopteroid Insects of Australia, D Rentz, UNSW Press, 1996, p188.
2. A Guide to Australian Grasshoppers and Locusts - DCF Rentz, RC Lewis, YN Su and MS Upton, 2003, p246.