Phaulacridium marginale
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
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 |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Grasshopper sighting in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park on a given day, based on 26 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 10 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and March
In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Grasshopper in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to December, 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.
Yes
Of the 5 parks where we can rate New Zealand Grasshopper sightings, Aoraki Mount Cook National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come 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 Aoraki Mount Cook National Park (26 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.
