Help find the "lost" Lewis's Laxabilla Grasshopper

31 Oct 2023

Lewis's Laxabilla (Laxabilla smaragdina) is a small flightless grasshopper, which was once common on the lower slopes of Tuggeranong Hill and on Isabella Plains in Natural Grasslands before its habitat was covered with housing. It has not been recorded for years locally. The adults appear in late summer, February and March It tends to be brown in dried native grassland but can have a green colour form (as in photo below). It has short antennae and short wings.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/26026110

4 comments

croftel wrote:

1 Nov 2023

How big/little?

MichaelBedingfield wrote:

2 Nov 2023

Hi Michael M. I transferred the Qld ALA sighting to NatureMapr. Do we have any historical data for the Canberra region?

MichaelMulvaney wrote:

3 Nov 2023

Thanks I think it is less than a cm @RogerF can you confirm this please

RogerF wrote:

3 Nov 2023

Slightly larger female 18mm male 12 mm.
Males macropterous or brachypyterous. Females always brachypterous.
All the data for the ACT would be in the ANIC collection which is not yet on line.
The sightings that I am aware of in the 70's and 80's were from NTG in the Isabella Plains/Tuggeranong valley (rather than Tuggeranong Hill) and now under houses.
Easily overlooked as a nymph of Praxibulus.

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