Let’s take a look at a couple of photographs sent in by my cousin.
(Photograph by Karen Gibson, used with permission)
How did she ever spot this mostly green grasshopper hiding on a green plant?
(Photograph by Karen Gibson, used with permission)
Looks a lot different close up! Can you see the bright yellow semi-lunar process at the “knee joint” of the hind legs? (See previous post about grasshoppers for details).
This species has an unusual common name: obscure bird grasshopper, Schistocerca obscura.
Turns out the plant is unusual, too. Called the citronella plant or mosquito plant geranium, Pelargonium citrosum, it is a scented geranium that smells like another plant, citronella. Citronella is supposed to chase away mosquitoes, although there’s some question whether the scented geranium has the same effect.
In any case, a scented geranium that smells like citronella evidently does not chase away grasshoppers.
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Thanks to Karen for permission to use her photographs.
