Caught in the Act

And showing no shame

Giant Grasshopper (Valanga irregularis) nymph preparing to devastate a plant. Atherton Tablelands, FNQ. © Bronwen Scott.

This is not the face of remorse. This is the face of a teenage Giant Grasshopper (Valanga irregularis) who has eaten its bodyweight in one of my favourite plants and will do it again, as soon as the next flush of leaves appears.

As the common name suggests, the Giant Grasshopper is the largest species of grasshopper in Australia. It lives in tropical and subtropic regions…