New grasshopper species discovery in the Netherlands

Translated from Dutch NOS TV today:

In a city park in Amersfoort, a grasshopper species, new for the Netherlands, has been discovered. Bat expert Summer Brown, during a search for bats, accidentally stumbled upon the Cyrtaspis scutata grasshopper, according to the NPO Radio 1 program Vroege Vogels.

The bright green Cyrtaspis scutata originates in countries around the Mediterranean Sea. Presumably the animal has traveled along with imported trees and has managed to establish itself here permanently.

The bat expert discovered the new species when he was looking for bats in Amersfoort’s Randenbroek park. Since 2016, he heard a sound that he thought was the brown long-eared bat. Now the sound turns out to come from the grasshopper species.

Winter

Grasshopper expert Baudewijn Odé says in Vroege Vogels that it is special that a species from the warm Mediterranean region is able to establish itself permanently in the Netherlands.

It is also noticeable that Cyrtaspis scutata is still active in winter, while the ‘regular’ Dutch grasshopper do not stay that way.