|[ Sizes: Orig | Med | Small | Thumb ]|
This blissful couple of the family Acrididae was seen on the lower slopes of Mount Cardigan in August.
Some of these grasshopper species have a fairly elaborate courtship ritual. Mating itself may take up to one hour, and the male may ride on the back of the female for a period of a day or more, a behavior known as mate guarding. Females oviposit in loose soil, typically among plant roots, in rotting wood, or even in dung. Clutches consist of 10-60 eggs, and females may lay up to 25 clutches over several weeks. Oviposition typically occurs in late summer, and the egg (as a developing embryo) overwinters. Eggs then hatch in the spring. Their life cycle is typically one year. A few species overwinter as juveniles (nymphs). Info from bugguide.net