In living specimens, the entire body is yellow-green and suffused throughout by a bronze metallic reflection which disappears from preserved specimens (Brown, 1962).

Material examined: KwaZulu-Natal, Oliviershoek Pass and Little Switzerland (Bergville District), 31 Jan. 1959, 63 males and 29 females leg. M. and H. D. Brown (Brown, 1962).

South Africa

The species is only known from the previously named Natal National Park, Mountains (Brown, 1962).

Grasshoppers usually move by walking or jumping, but most adults fly, often exposing brightly coloured hindwings. Their adaptations include the forewings (called tergima) which are thickened and with numerous veins; the hindwings also contain many veins but are membranous, fan-like, and folded when in repose. Most Orthoptera display hind legs enlarged and adapted for jumping (Gibb & Oseto, 2006).

Herbivore - Graminivore (grass-eating)

Orthoptera have well-developed mandibles and their mouth parts are adapted for chewing. They are mainly herbivorous, favouring a range of grasses and often consuming more even than antelope and cattle (up to 130 kg of grass yearly per hectare). This species was found in a vegetable garden feeding upon the leaves of spinach, carrot and beetroot. Slight damage to young spinach plants was noted. In the veld, during the day, they were seen in great numbers on grass, while in the evenings nearly all had moved into the bushes (Brown, 1962; Gibb & Oseto, 2006; Picker et al., 2012).

Females in Orthopterans have an egg-laying tube which is short and usually concealed, as are the male genitalia, and the abdomen in males always turns up at the end. Eggs are laid in groups in soil and mixed with a frothy substance that hardens to form the egg pod. Egg-pods of this species, one with 25 and the other with 32 eggs; details are: length of pod 38 mm; egg length 4.0–4.1 mm; chorion with reticulated sculpture. Oviposition took place in the soil and details of the eggs obtained are the length of pod 40 mm; egg length 4.5–4.6 mm; enclosed in froth and with 36 eggs present (Brown, 1962; Picker et al., 2012).