Stepnaya fat (Pallas) photo and description, Red Book, what eats and where it lives

Stepnoy Tolstun is listed in the Red Book of Eurasia. This species is a representative of the Right Wing detachment, belongs to the family of ballheaded grasshoppers. This insect was first described by the natural scientist Pallas in the 17th century. Tolstun Stepni has three pairs of legs.

Appearance

Stepnaya fat-grasshopper with bronze-black color. Insect has a rather large body. Sexual dimorphism is expressed in size: the body length of the females ranges from 40 to 57 mm, and in males this indicator ranges from 50 to 80 mm. Females are distinguished by an eggwisher 3 cm long.

There are white strips on the torso of the grasshopper. On the hips you can notice sharp spikes that protect against enemies. The insect has long brushshaped mustache, which are a tactile organ.

The head of the thick Pallas has a spherical shape. There are two keels located on the sides on the big frontline. The insect has no wings. The legs of the fattoon are quite weak, because the grasshopper cannot make long jumps.  The hind limbs of the thickness are longer than the rest. Spots are noticeable on the outer thighs.

There are two subspecies of the Stepnoy Tolstuna: light and dark. In grasshoppers belonging to the first subspecies, the color of the predominant yellowish. The “dark” fats have a gray or black body, there are brown spots on the aperture. There are segments with large black spots on the abdomen.

Habitat

Tolstuna can be found on the territory of the Caucasus, in the Stavropol and Krasnodar Territory. The grasshopper lives in Kabardino-Balkaria, in Chechnya and in the steppes of Dagestan. Separate representatives of the species are found in Siberia, on the territory of Hungary and Ukraine. This species lives in the steppes near the Don. Stepnia fatets prefer to settle in places where there is access to cereals.

What eats

This grasshopper feeds on cereals and legumes, dandelion and plantain. Tolstun can eat and body. These insects do not go hunting, they eat the surviving fabrics of the dead brothers.

Interesting Facts

1. The grasshopper uses small overlaps as a sound apparatus: with their help, an insect shakes.
2. Stepnia fatets when a person approaches will cease to make digging sounds.
3. These grasshoppers usually settle on the slopes, but in rainy and cloudy weather they can climb into the mountains.
4. Male individuals share the area, choosing a site for themselves. The distance between the “possessions” is 30 cm.
5. These insects are active in the morning and evening.

Reproduction

In the wedding period, males are very active, they can crawl for a long time before they find a partner. The reproduction season begins in August, and ends in early September. During this period, both males and females shake in the steppes.

In these insects, mating occurs 2-3 times. 14 days after fertilization, the female lays eggs. First, she creates holes in the ground with an egg, then puts offspring there. The eggs of the female fat are laid in small portions of 8 pieces. In one clutch, there can be from 60 to 100 eggs. The masonry winters, larvae begin to appear only next year, in early summer. The larva becomes an insect, having passed 5 line.