Leek Grasshopper
Mecostethus parapleurus
The Leek Grasshopper is a medium-sized orthopteran that prefers moist habitats such as fens and sedge marshes. It is characterized by a mostly light green to yellowish-green coloration and a prominent dark longitudinal stripe extending from the eye across the pronotum. The wings are well-developed and exceed the hind knees in both sexes, making it an agile flyer. While historically more common in southern Europe, it has been expanding its range northward due to climate change.
Details
Identification
Green base color, black longitudinal stripe behind the eye, hind knees usually pale (not black), long wings.
Social behavior
Solitary; males attract females with a short, clicking stridulation.
Diet
Purely herbivorous, feeding mainly on various grasses (Poaceae) and sedges (Cyperaceae).
Spawning substrate
Moist soil or dense grass tussocks.
Overwintering
Overwintering as an egg in the soil or within plant stems.
Ecology
Ecological role
Primary consumer; serves as an important food source for insectivorous birds, spiders, and amphibians.
Natural predators
Birds, orb-weaver spiders, robber flies, frogs.
Competitor species
Other hygrophilous grasshoppers such as the Large Marsh Grasshopper.
Ecosystem service
Contributes to the nutrient cycle through the breakdown of plant biomass.
Threats
Habitat loss due to drainage of wet meadows and intensive agricultural use.
Scientific profile
Profile
Distinguishing features
Slender build; wings are long in both males and females (extending beyond the tip of the abdomen); black eye stripe; hind tibiae usually yellowish or greenish, never red. The song consists of short, sharp 'tick' sounds produced at irregular intervals.
Habitat
Prefers moist to wet habitats such as wet meadows, fens, sedge marshes, and riparian vegetation. Recently increasingly found in mesophilic grasslands and fallow land, provided the humidity within the herb layer is sufficiently high.
Diet
Herbivorous; feeds on various grasses (Poaceae) and sedges (Cyperaceae).
Role in food web
Primary consumer; serves as an important food source for specialized birds (e.g., Red-backed Shrike), spiders, and amphibians in wetlands.
Protection & threats
Main threats
Intensification of agriculture (early mowing, high fertilization), drainage of wetlands, loss of margin structures, and habitat fragmentation.
Population trend
Overall stable to increasing in Germany, with noticeable expansion trends particularly in Northern Germany (climate winner).
Conservation measures
Preservation and rewetting of wet grasslands; introduction of late mowing (after July) or staggered mowing; avoidance of fertilization in core habitats.