Chorthippus lacustris

Epirus dancing grasshopper
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Orthoptera
Suborder:	Caelifera
Family:	Acrididae
Genus:	Chorthippus
Species:	C. lacustris
Binomial name
Chorthippus lacustris (Thunberg, 1815)

Chorthippus lacustris, the Epirus dancing grasshopper, is a species of grasshopper belonging to the genus Chorthippus. This species is native to northwest Greece and is critically endangered.

Habitat

This species lives in wet temporary grasslands and needs high soil humidity.[2] The Epirus dancing grasshopper's habitat is currently threatened mainly by the urbanization of northwest Greece.[1] Only five populations of this species remain in the world.

Conservation

The Epirus dancing grasshopper is currently listed as critically endangered on the IUCN red list and is on the verge of extinction. There are five remnant known populations. Deforestation and urbanization has caused this species to create habitat fragmentation which makes it difficult for separate populations to reproduce with each other.[3] These species are particularly vulnerable to habitat loss due to their narrow ecological niche. Drainage, intensive cattle grazing and land conversion to agricultural fields are other threats the grasshopper faces.[2] As of 2016^[update], it lived in three protected areas of the Natura 2000 network in Epirus; no conservation efforts were being made to protect the species there.[2]

References

1. Willemse, L.P.M.; Kati, V.; Hochkirch, A.; Papapavlou, K.; Tzirkalli, E.; Heller, K.-G. (2016). "Chorthippus lacustris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T14870997A70432562. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T14870997A70432562.en. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
2. "Epirus Grasshopper Conservation Case Study". The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
3. "Epirus Dancing Grasshopper". Grasshoppers of Europe. Retrieved 9 August 2023.

Bibliography

• Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) (2014). "Learning our Lessons: A Review of Alternative Livelihood Projects in Central Africa". Center for International Forestry Research. doi:10.17528/cifor/data.00083. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
• "species Chorthippus (Chorthippus) lacustris La Greca & Messina, 1975: Orthoptera Species File". orthoptera.speciesfile.org. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
• Stefanidis, Apostolos (December 2022). "Saving the last dance: conservation actions for the Epirus grasshopper Chorthippus lacustris".
• Hochkirch, Axel (2020). "Grasshopper conservation in Europe" (PDF). The Third European Congress of Orthoptera Conservation in Leiden, the Netherlands: 95 – via R & R Felix.