Lichen Grasshopper

While Mike and I were on Petit Jean the other day, we decided to go to the Petit Jean Gravesite overlook to take a look at a building thunderhead. While he was shooting I was scouting a better angle and decided to go on the cliff over looking the Arkansas River to the North. While I was waiting for him to come over with the camera, I saw something move on the rocks. Naturally I looked down, but didn't see it. Then, I saw it! It was this very well camoflauged grasshopper. I had never seen anything like it! As you can see from the picture, it is very hard to see. I had to keep my eyes on it until Mike came with the camera just so I wouldn't loose him...Anyway, he is called Leuronotina ritensis - The Lichen Grasshopper. After doing a little research..apparently it is common in Arizona and New Mexico between 5000 and 8000 feet altitude. If anyone know more about this grasshopper, I would love to hear about it. I would especially be interested in knowing why it is being found atop Petit Jean...

Hi Karla,

It is fun to show folks a picture of a rock surface with crustose lichen and ask if they can find a grasshopper, then zoom in to the size that you have above to see a great lichen mimic. Lichen grasshoppers are actually quite common on the right surface. They live on exposed bedrock that is more acid in nature like chert glades, sandstone glades, and igneous glades. The habitat at Petit Jean would be sandstone glades, the most common type of glade in Arkansas (glade-poor in diversity). You won't find them on more alkaline substrates like dolomite glades and limestone glades because the crustose lichen is absent. This is a grasshopper species that has adapted to its environment and can be found as far as the East Coast and the Southeast. Come to the Missouri side of the Ozarks (glade-rich in diversity) and you'll find them on sandstone, chert, and igneous glades. We also have dolomite glades and limestone glades. You've heard of Missouri being the cave state (actually, Tennessee at over 6,000 has us beat by 500 caves). I consider Missouri to be the spring state and the glade state!

Trimerotropis saxatilis is the name of the species of lichen grasshopper that lives on glades in the Ozarks.

Best,
Don

Very interesting photo, Karla, of a very interesting fellow. And thanks to Don for the information on the species and its habitat.

Really cool Karla. Good info Don. Thanks

Don I can't thank you enough for your wealth of information! I knew I could count on you to know the exact id of this little guy. I guess I will pay better attention as I tread across sandstone glades to see if I can spot anymore of them.

Karla, since we are discussing Petit Jean S.P., have you been to see the turtle rocks? A good example is along the Rock House Cave Trail. The sandstone glade has mounds of sandstone that resemble the carapace of a turtle's back. There are several places in the park where you can see this. I have researched sandstone glades in Southern Illinois (the king of sandstone glades!) and in Missouri but have never seen this unusual formation before. I even mention it on p. 200 of my Scenic Driving the Ozarks book, 2nd edition.

Best,
Don

What a well adapted defense mechanism! A predator would be hard pressed to spot this guy. Great spot Karla and thanks to Don for sharing his wealth of knowledge with us, much appreciated!

Hey Don, Karla and I light painted the turtle rocks back a few months ago. Lesson learned: Karla and I learned a valuable lesson for light painting including star trails. Don't cover the lens at any point during exposure. I needed to use a flashlight to make my way to the next spot to paint and Karla would cover the lens with her hand. We didn't think about the star trails being interupted by this process. It is a interesting place.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Mhj-0qDYfG0/ShB3ccC1vfI/AAAAAAAAIZ8/EchrggUMQUk/s1600-h/MMH_0077.jpg

Wow, isn't that an amazing place! Your photo makes me want to jump in my truck and take the 7-hour drive just to see them again. The turtle rocks are certainly an interesting challenge to photograph. And, Conway certainly isn't a bad location to be. You are within striking distance of a bunch of neat areas to visit. I have often thought the Conway/Russellville area would be a good place to relocate with swamps to the east, Ouachitas to the south and southwest, prairies to the west and the Boston Mountains to the north. You must be in heaven!

Best,
Don

Heaven on earth would be Tim's next door neighbor! Or at least live in that area. Conway is a good location while holding down a job. Maybe someday we can move to the mountains!

I don't know about that Mike ... Tim's next door neighbor? I hear tell that he keeps strange hours!

"Maybe someday we can move to the mountains!"

Mike, so would everyone else, that's why the real estate values in Newton County are out of site. What I like about the Arkansas River valley is that sunrises/sunsets and moonrises/moonsets are there every day to be photographed! Plus, being centrally located provides better access to the whole state! Besides, Ernst has to deal with life or death situations. If it isn't the black bears ready to maul him, it's always the suspicion that a catamount is stalking him.

Best,
Don

FYI, Mike Beebe just bought a house on the other end of Cave Mountain. The phone man was by my cabin this morning and started talking about "the governor" - they were going to hook up his phone on Friday but he just discovered that the underground lines going into the house are all dead. The phone guy was beside himself and sweating over the fact of not being able to hook up a phone for the gov. (I had just received an e-mail from Mike Beebe about an hour before this telling me how excited he was to finally get phone service connected to his new house.) It's getting crowded up here in god's country, but we always have room for more!

You are correct about the price of land in this county Don - lots of land for sale but at very high prices.

Wow..You guys have been having fun on my post while I've been at work..Who woulda thunk a little grasshopper would spur such a wide variety of conversation!
Thanks for all the comments regarding the grasshopper and thanks for keeping my husband entertained while I was gone to work

Tim the prices may be partially your fault. All your beautiful pictures of the area have everyone wanting to live up there.

Don I also live in Conway and yes it is a great place to live. I can get to many places pretty quick. I am two hours from Boxley and two hours from my cabin in De Witt just down the road from the White River Refuge. Not to mention all the spots around here.

Sure is the first one of these hoppers I've ever seen. It's amazing how the process of natural selection and evolution works. Great eye just seeing him, Karla! I'll have to look around a bit closer next time I'm down at Petit Jean.