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Giant Tropical Grasshopper

Tropidacris cristata

Orthoptera / Romaleidae

Tropidacris cristata is a large tropical American grasshopper with a crested pronotum and darkly spotted hindwings. The adults have dark blue-green upper surfaces; banded nymphs gather in groups on vegetation.

Read the species account
Tropidacris cristata, dorsal view
Giant Tropical GrasshopperDorsal view.Illustration adapted from EO 400295 Giant Grasshopper Tropidacris cristata 001 by Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History. Public domain (Smithsonian media designation).

At a glance

Family ↘
A grasshopper in Romaleidae. [2]
Immature pattern ↘
Nymphs bear blackish-brown and yellow-green bands. [1]
Feeding ↘
Broad-leaved trees, shrubs and palms supply food. [1]

Identity and classification

Tropidacris cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) belongs to Romaleidae in Orthoptera. Rowell’s regional treatment recognizes the nominal subspecies in Costa Rica and Panama. [1][2]

Morphology and identification

The adult pronotum and forewings are dark blue-green; the expanded hindwings carry dark spots. Nymphs have vertical blackish-brown and yellow-green bands. [1]

Distribution and habitat

The range extends from northern Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil through Central America to Mexico. In Costa Rica, the nominal form occupies wooded habitats below the upper montane zone, approximately 1800 m. [1]

Feeding and host plants

Adults and nymphs feed on a variety of broad-leaved trees, shrubs and palms. In Costa Rican forests, nymphs are frequently found on bitterwood, Quassia amara. [1]

Behaviour

Nymphs are gregarious. Adults are strong fliers and can be attracted to lights at night. [1]

Artistic interpretation

Ventral view.Illustration adapted from EO 400295 Giant Grasshopper Tropidacris cristata 002 by Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History. Public domain (Smithsonian media designation).

Display and care

Keep the enclosure closed and display it in indirect light, away from heat and damp conditions. Handle the frame by its edges and clean only its exterior according to the maker’s instructions.

Sources and further reading

  1. The Grasshoppers (Caelifera) of Costa Rica and Panama ↗

    C.H.F. Rowell; The Orthopterists’ Society (2013) · Accessed 2026-10-11

  2. Giant Grasshopper: Tropidacris cristata ↗

    Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History · Accessed 2026-10-11

Sources checked 2026-10-11. Illustrations · Luminary Oddities.

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