4/10/09

Post date: Jun 3, 2009 8:05:51 PM

Our Florida picture of a lubber grasshopper is a finalist in the Nature's Best Photography Magazine photo contest. Below is our description and photo.

We found this lubber grasshopper in autumn while walking around our rural yard in Malabar, Florida. The Southeastern lubber is flightless and huge – up to 3 inches long. Although the lubber’s bright yellow, pink and black colors stand out in a backyard, it surprisingly blends into the background of its native pine scrub habitat. The bright colors serve as a warning to predators that they are toxic to eat. The term “lubber” comes from a middle English word meaning clumsy or slow – a description of their movement on the forest floor. We were captivated by this lubber’s beauty and intricate face.