This oversized bug, the Egyptian Bird Grasshopper (Anacridium aegyptium), decided to land next to me in a parking lot in Portugal last spring and it turns out they can be found traditionally in Europe and in North Africa, as well as parts of the Middle East, wherever it’s warm. Over recent years there have even been reports of sightings in California, but this is most likely as a result of the accidental or deliberate release of captive specimens. They can measure up to 7cm in length for the female, which seems like a pretty big grasshopper to me. They are most active in late summer, before hibernating underground for the winter and surprisingly, they are not considered a pest – they do not damage crops. Whenever you come across one, maybe because they’re so big, you just find yourself watching them until they fly off again.
