Bug FAQSigaus australis
Sigaus australis · Order: Orthoptera · Family: Acrididae
Adult southern grasshoppers are relatively large, about 26 mm long and weigh around 0.8 g, but their wings are tiny (2 to 4 mm) so they cannot fly. They blend into tussock grasslands of the southern South Island, ranging from low sites near 200 m up to alpine heights of 2 000 m.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
They are highly cryptic and show many colour forms that match the greens and earth tones of surrounding vegetation.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Females are about 26 mm long and weigh roughly 0.8 g. Their wings are only 2 to 4 mm long, making them flightless like most New Zealand grasshoppers.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Prefers elevations of 1 300 to 1 700 m but occurs as low as 200 m at Alexandra Tailings and as high as 2 000 m on Smite Peak.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It eats many soft-leaf plants, including introduced hawkweeds and dandelion, but avoids the common snow tussocks (Chionochloa spp.).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Its life cycle lasts two to three years. Individuals can survive freezing at any stage of the year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Sigaus australis occurs in the southern South Island, from Otago to Canterbury.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It may be confused with Paprides australis (Hutton 1897) or Paprides torquatus (Hutton 1898).
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I recognize Sigaus australis?
Look for a relatively large grasshopper (about 26 mm) with tiny wings and colour patterns that match the surrounding grasses and earth tones.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does Sigaus australis live?
It inhabits tussock grasslands of Otago and Canterbury in the southern South Island, from low sites around 200 m up to alpine areas near 2 000 m.
Source: Wikipedia
What does Sigaus australis eat?
It feeds on a wide range of soft-leaf plants, especially introduced hawkweeds and dandelion, while avoiding snow tussocks.
Source: Wikipedia
How long does Sigaus australis live?
Its life cycle spans two to three years, and it can survive freezing at any stage.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Acrididae)
Differential GrasshopperMelanoplus differentialisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Two-striped GrasshopperMelanoplus bivittatusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Carolina GrasshopperDissosteira carolinaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Common Field GrasshopperChorthippus brunneus
Egyptian Bird GrasshopperAnacridium aegyptium
Gray Bird GrasshopperSchistocerca nitensDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigaus_australis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.