Phaulacridium marginale
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Phaulacridium marginale is a small species of short-horned grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is endemic to New Zealand where it is found in low elevation open habitat throughout North Island, South Island, Stewart Island and on many smaller islands.
Phaulacridium marginale is widespread throughout New Zealand. It is commonly found on open lowland grassy flats and sand dunes. It is also found on the sub-alpine zone to an altitude of 1,350 metres (4,430 ft) on the Ragged Range (43°14′47″S 171°06′10″E). It is not uncommon on roadsides in exotic grass and in built-up areas near Wellington and Christchurch. This Phaulacridium genus prefers open spaces where they are able to thermoregulate their bodies through basking (also known as sunning).
This common lowland short-horned grasshopper species is also present on many of New Zealand's offshore islands. It has been reported on Little Barrier Island (Hauturu), Great Barrier Island (Aotea), and the Hen and Chicken Islands (is also likely to be on other offshore islands). It has even been found on the Chatham Islands, approximately 850 km east of New Zealand.
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| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aoraki Mount Cook National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 5 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Grasshopper sighting in Abel Tasman National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 27th most-seen of the 64 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March and May–June
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Grasshopper in Abel Tasman National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January and July–October, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most New Zealand Grasshopper sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate New Zealand Grasshopper sightings, Abel Tasman National Park ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park (New Zealand, about 40%), Arthur's Pass National Park (New Zealand, about 30%) and Egmont National Park (New Zealand, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the New Zealand Grasshopper is recorded against all the insects logged in Abel Tasman National Park (8 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
