Psedna nana (Variable Psedna Grasshopper)

OrthopteraAustralian Orthopteroid Index Garden Mantis Grasshoppers Blistered Pyrgomorph Coryphistes sp Giant Grasshopper (Valanga irregularis) Macrotona Queensland Spotted Pyrgomorph (Greyacris profundesulcata) Katydids (family Tettigoniidae) Phaneropterinae Psedna nana (Variable Psedna Grasshopper) Toadhopper (Buforania crassa)

Psedna nana belong to the Gaudy Grasshoppers (family Pyrgomorphidae, subfamily Orthacridinae). Psedna nana are commonly known as the Variable Psedna Grasshopper.

This species has been recorded in Belair National Park (SE of Adelaide), inland New South Wales, Perth and surrounding regions, great southern region of WA (including Albany and Stirling Range National Park), Onkaparinga River National Park and Belair National Park in South Australia.

Colours of the rainbow! True to colour.

Source: Marianne Broug, iNaturalist observation¹

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Psedna nana, a member of Gaudy Grasshoppers Family Pyrgomorphidae
The colouration of your specimen is both beautiful and strikingly similar to the colour photo of Psedna nana on p.54 of Rentz et al “A Guide to Australian Grasshoppers and Locusts” 2003. In his 1972 revision of the Psednurini, (Aust. J. Zool. Suppl. 14) Key provides a detailed description of Psedna nana. He notes that tegmina and wings are dorsolateral in position, very small and narrowly lanceolate – as seen in your specimen. Some individuals have fully developed wings. The colour of the body and legs (particularly femur III) and other aspects of the morphology of your specimen is a good match to Key’s description. The collecting sites include Loftia Park.

Paul Whitington

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Thanks so much @pmwhitington! Your info and ID is much appreciated. Would love to see the photo in that book and will try to get a hold of it. I wouldn’t have noticed the wings unless you had pointed them out (very small in the third photo?). Is this then an adult?

Marianne Broug

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Yes, it’s an adult Marianne. That’s as big as the wings get in that form. Orthopterans often have adult short and long or no-winged forms of the same species.

Paul Whitington

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Psedna nana, a member of Gaudy Grasshoppers Family Pyrgomorphidae.

Reiner Richter

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The colour is a better match for this species.
The tip of the fastigium is quite “pointy” in profile in this specimen more so than Psednura pedestris. The cercus is visible in 1st and 3rd images and looks straight in profile which again is consistent with Psedna nana.

Robert Read

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I think this may be the same species as this observation that’s been sitting with the wrong name for the last year. Unsure though (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/152847209)

Same with this one I found a couple days ago (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/200386069).

Connor Margetts

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• Scientific classification
• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Arthropoda
• Subphylum: Hexapoda
• Class: Insecta
• Informal: Pterygotes
• Order: Orthoptera
• Suborder: Caelifera
• Superfamily: Acridoidea
• Family: Pyrgomorphidae
• Subfamily: Pyrgomorphinae
• Tribe: Psednurini
• Genus: Psedna
• Species: Psedna nana

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OrthopteraAustralian Orthopteroid Index Garden Mantis Grasshoppers Blistered Pyrgomorph Coryphistes sp Giant Grasshopper (Valanga irregularis) Macrotona Queensland Spotted Pyrgomorph (Greyacris profundesulcata) Katydids (family Tettigoniidae) Phaneropterinae Psedna nana (Variable Psedna Grasshopper) Toadhopper (Buforania crassa)

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