Exceptionally rare' pink grasshopper spotted in New Zealand

"An exceptionally rare pink grasshopper has been spotted basking in the sun alongside a river in New Zealand's South Island. A group of department of conservation researchers were conducting their annual grasshopper survey near Lake Tekapo in the MacKenzie basin when they came across the dark pink female critter. The species the robust grasshopper is native to New Zealand, and the country's largest lowland grasshopper."

"I'd heard rumours about a pink one but never seen one myself, said Jen Schori, a department of conservation ranger involved in the survey. It was so exciting. Pink grasshoppers are exceptionally rare. The pink hue is thought to be caused by a genetic mutation called erythrism, which results in an over production of red pigment and less of the usual natural pigment, Schori said."

Researchers surveying near Lake Tekapo in the MacKenzie Basin found a dark pink female robust grasshopper beside a river. The robust grasshopper is New Zealand's largest lowland grasshopper and normally appears grey or brown, matching river stones at braided river edges. The pink hue results from a genetic mutation called erythrism, producing excess red pigment. The species is nationally endangered with an estimated 250–1,000 adults remaining and faces threats from habitat loss, climate warming and predators. Females are about twice the size of males and need abundant sun to mature eggs; bright pink coloration increases predation risk. A predator-exclusion fence protects part of the habitat, but the pink female was found outside it.

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