Orthoptera (Grasshoppers and Ground-hoppers)
General description:
A combination of geography, climate and a restricted range of habitats accounts for presence of only three species in the islands. This compares with 28 species for the UK as a whole and six in the Highland region of Scotland. It is also interesting to note that there are no records for Lewis and Harris, however this may be due to under-recording.
Identification:
The mottled grasshopper is the most common and more widely distributed, and can be easily separated from the common green grasshopper by the shape of the antennae.
The long backward-pointed extension of the thorax in common groundhopper distinguishes it from the grasshoppers.