Top Tweets for #bluewinged

about 1 year ago

About the #bluewinged #grasshopper #Oedipoda #caerulescens (#Acrididae), aspects of its biology and native #distribution, and a short summary of a scientific study on the #dynamics of #reintroduced #populations in Switzerland. According to the #IUCNRedList, O. caerulescens is potentially #endangered in #Germany and is protected throughout Europe. The species' natural distribution ranges from the #Mediterranean region to northern Germany and possibly eastward to Mongolia. The species is adapted to #dry, #sandy #habitats and is often found only in isolated areas in Central and Northern Europe. The species is therefore neither a neophyte nor a species that has "recently" arrived in #Berlin via biological colonization, where I photographed it on a #drymeadow in the Rehberge urban #park. However, it is certainly more optimally adapted to the conditions in the Mediterranean region and, favored by #globalwarming, could also become increasingly common in northern Germany or Scandinavian regions. The grasshopper's common name derives from its striking blue wing #coloration, which is only visible in flight. Oedipoda caerulescens is evolutionarily adapted to living close to the ground, in dry meadows and #wasteland areas with suitable, rather sandy subsoil. Its #locomotion is more by running than by jumping. To protect itself from predators, it relies on its excellent #camouflage, which makes it difficult to distinguish from the ground. The species thus practices what is known as #mimesis, which differs from mimicry in that no active action is required from the animal to deceptively imitate its surroundings through camouflage. If the grasshopper is dangerously disturbed despite its camouflage, for example, by someone like me walking across a meadow, it flies to safety, revealing its eponymous #bluewings. The color blue is well visible to many insects, because their visual pigments are sensitive to the blue to ultraviolet light spectrum. Therefore, #color can serve various #functions in insects, including sexual communication and territorial behavior. According to the authors E. Shevtsova et al. (2011), the microstructures of colorful #winginterferencepatterns (#WIPs) can also contribute to solving more difficult #taxonomic problems, such as distinguishing species within #speciescomplexes. In the case of the blue-winged grasshopper, this is a deterrent coloration with different effects on different potential attackers and their optically perceptible light spectra. Insects can interpret the color as a warning color. For other animals with poor vision in the blue spectrum, this could possibly even be considered a camouflage coloration. According to the authors B. Baur et al. (2017), the blue-winged grasshopper can be successfully reintroduced into regions where the #species was previously #extinct. Long-term studies have shown that releasing hatched nymphs into the observed areas led to the #permanentestablishment of a new population. If suitable corridors leading to further ecologically suitable areas are established or already exist, #subpopulations also successfully grow, according to the study. The studies on the population dynamics of #newlyintroduced populations of the grasshopper species were conducted over a period of more than 21 years in a "nature reserve in Northwestern #Switzerland, an alluvial gravel area, where the species went extinct in the 1960s". © #StefanFWirth Berlin #August 2025 #References E. Shevtsova et al. (2011): https://t.co/UzacBiyTZm B. Baur et al. (2017): https://t.co/JD6OV3Qx3e #Photos: Individual of the blue-winged grasshopper Oedipoda caerulescens on a dry meadow in urban park Rehberge in Berlin, August 2025, © Stefan F. Wirth

wirthstef's tweet photo. About the #bluewinged #grasshopper #Oedipoda #caerulescens (#Acrididae), aspects of its biology and native #distribution, and a short summary of a scientific study on the #dynamics of #reintroduced #populations in Switzerland.

According to the #IUCNRedList, O. caerulescens is potentially #endangered in #Germany and is protected throughout Europe.
The species' natural distribution ranges from the #Mediterranean region to northern Germany and possibly eastward to Mongolia. The species is adapted to #dry, #sandy #habitats and is often found only in isolated areas in Central and Northern Europe.

The species is therefore neither a neophyte nor a species that has "recently" arrived in #Berlin via biological colonization, where I photographed it on a #drymeadow in the Rehberge urban #park. However, it is certainly more optimally adapted to the conditions in the Mediterranean region and, favored by #globalwarming, could also become increasingly common in northern Germany or Scandinavian regions.

The grasshopper's common name derives from its striking blue wing #coloration, which is only visible in flight.
Oedipoda caerulescens is evolutionarily adapted to living close to the ground, in dry meadows and #wasteland areas with suitable, rather sandy subsoil. Its #locomotion is more by running than by jumping. To protect itself from predators, it relies on its excellent #camouflage, which makes it difficult to distinguish from the ground. The species thus practices what is known as #mimesis, which differs from mimicry in that no active action is required from the animal to deceptively imitate its surroundings through camouflage. If the grasshopper is dangerously disturbed despite its camouflage, for example, by someone like me walking across a meadow, it flies to safety, revealing its eponymous #bluewings.

The color blue is well visible to many insects, because their visual pigments are sensitive to the blue to ultraviolet light spectrum. Therefore, #color can serve various #functions in insects, including sexual communication and territorial behavior. According to the authors E. Shevtsova et al. (2011), the microstructures of colorful #winginterferencepatterns (#WIPs) can also contribute to solving more difficult #taxonomic problems, such as distinguishing species within #speciescomplexes.
In the case of the blue-winged grasshopper, this is a deterrent coloration with different effects on different potential attackers and their optically perceptible light spectra. Insects can interpret the color as a warning color. For other animals with poor vision in the blue spectrum, this could possibly even be considered a camouflage coloration.

According to the authors B. Baur et al. (2017), the blue-winged grasshopper can be successfully reintroduced into regions where the #species was previously #extinct. Long-term studies have shown that releasing hatched nymphs into the observed areas led to the #permanentestablishment of a new population. If suitable corridors leading to further ecologically suitable areas are established or already exist, #subpopulations also successfully grow, according to the study.
The studies on the population dynamics of #newlyintroduced populations of the grasshopper species were conducted over a period of more than 21 years in a "nature reserve in Northwestern #Switzerland, an alluvial gravel area, where the species went extinct in the 1960s".

© #StefanFWirth Berlin #August 2025

#References

E. Shevtsova et al. (2011):
https://t.co/UzacBiyTZm

B. Baur et al. (2017):
https://t.co/JD6OV3Qx3e

#Photos:

Individual of the blue-winged grasshopper Oedipoda caerulescens on a dry meadow in urban park Rehberge in Berlin, August 2025, © Stefan F. Wirth

251

Roppity Photography 🦉 @RoppityPhotos

over 2 years ago

Just some things I took photographs of today. #Nature #Wildlife #Birds #Photography #Chipmunk #BlueWinged #Warbler #Blue #Heron #IndigoBunting the Indigo Bunting was in #MyYardMyBirds

RoppityPhotos's tweet photo. Just some things I took photographs of today. #Nature #Wildlife #Birds #Photography #Chipmunk #BlueWinged #Warbler #Blue #Heron #IndigoBunting the Indigo Bunting was in #MyYardMyBirds https://t.co/ecnYQsPzJK

750

Lotus Winnie Lee @lotuswinnielee

over 2 years ago

Blue-winged Warbler in Rockefeller State Park on Saturday 5/25/2024. A real cutie! #bluewingedwarbler #bluewinged #warblers #birdwatching #wildlife

lotuswinnielee's tweet photo. Blue-winged Warbler in Rockefeller State Park on Saturday 5/25/2024. A real cutie! #bluewingedwarbler #bluewinged #warblers #birdwatching #wildlife https://t.co/TxI6agZE2P

469

Lotus Winnie Lee @lotuswinnielee

over 2 years ago

Another Blue-winged Warbler in Sterling Forest State Park. There were a lot of them there but you must have time and patience to get a good shot, and time I don’t have much. #bluewingedwarbler ##bluewinged #warblers #birdwatching #wildlife