Perunga Grasshopper (Perunga ochracea)

Description

The Perunga Grasshopper has a pale cross on its thorax and small wings.
The colours on its back can change each year. It's usually grey-brown during dry years and greenish during wet years.
Females are 30 mm long and males about 15 mm long.
They eat small flowering plants called forbs.
Although this species has wings, it can't fly but they jump over 1m.
Nymphs hatch in late summer and autumn. They develop through winter and in early spring.
They only live for 12-months.

It has a small range, stretching 180km east-west and 150km north-south. They live across Murrumbateman, Gundaroo, the ACT and Bungendore. Its range is shrinking due to changes to its habitats.
About 99.5% of Natural Temperate Grassland in Australia have been destroyed or changed since European settlement. The Perunga Grasshopper lives in the areas that are left.
These areas have grasses such as wallaby, speargrass and Kangaroo Grass.
The species have been found using grass tussocks as shelter.

The survival of the Perunga Grasshopper depends on its habitat. Threats to its habitat include:

native grassland clearing for urban development or agriculture
changes from weed invasion, farming, pasture improvement, overgrazing, and too much plant growth
large natural events like wildfires, droughts, and storms.

Australian Capital Territory – Vulnerable (Nature Conservation Act 2014), Special Protection Status Species (Nature Conservation Act 2014).

Conservation actions aim to:

protect the Perunga Grasshopper populations in the ACT
create a variety of habitats for the grasshopper to live in
manage mowing, grazing, weed removal, and controlled burning
improve nearby grasslands to make bigger habitats and connect populations
provide special areas with management plans
keep surveying, monitoring, and researching the species
work with research institutions and non-government organizations and encourage volunteers to help with conservation.