Slender Groundhopper - Tetrix subulata

Description

Length 9-14 mm. Small grasshopper-like insect with wide 'shoulders' and a narrow tapering abdomen hidden beneath an extended pronotum. Females have a broad pale-brown stripe along the top of their bodies. Fully winged, they are capable of flight and adults can swim.

Similar Species

Only likely to be confused with a nymph of the Common Groundhopper, before the pronotum fully grows.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Bare mud and short vegetation in damp, unshaded locations.

When to see it

Late instar nymphs and immature adults overwinter and mature in spring. Nymphs appear from May to July; adults appear by August.

Life History

Herbivorous, feeding on algae, mosses and lichens. Eggs are laid directly into the ground or in low vegetation.

UK Status

Fairly frequent in the Midlands and southern England.

VC55 Status

Fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland.

Further Information

A few records throughout Leics and Rutland, probably under-recorded.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Slender Ground-hopper
Species group:
Grasshoppers & Crickets
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Orthoptera
Family:
Tetrigidae
Records on NatureSpot:
81
First record:
11/09/2009 (Gould, David)
Last record:
14/10/2024 (Pugh, Dylan)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.

Latest images

Latest records