Common Mountain Grasshopper

Common Mountain Grasshopper

Podisma pedestris

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Hohe Tauern National Park

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

67 Verified sightings at Hohe Tauern National Park From 2019 to 2026
242 In all 7 parks
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Common Mountain Grasshopper

Podisma pedestris is a species of 'short-horned grasshoppers' belonging to the family Acrididae subfamily Melanoplinae. This small wingless grasshopper is found throughout most of Europe and the eastern Palearctic realm, extending to temperate mainland east Asia.

The adult males grow up to 17–25 millimetres (0.67–0.98 in) long, while the females reach 24–30 millimetres (0.94–1.18 in) of length. They can be encountered from mid June through October in dry meadows, in rocky slopes of mountains, alpine pastures and forest clearings. They feed on grasses and herbaceous plants. The females lay their eggs on the ground.

The basic coloration of the body varies from dark-brownish to yellowish, with black and yellow trasversal stripes on the sides of the abdomen. The males have brighter and more intense colours and more extensive black markings than the females. A dark longitudinal stripe runs from the eye to pronotum. The femora of the hind legs are reddish, while tibiae are bluish with white spines.

In both sexes the vestigial wings are oval, very short and unfit to flight (brachyptery), resembling those of a nymph. This species sometimes has well-developed... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Hohe Tauern National Park 🇦🇹 Austria
~40%
2 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~20%
3 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
~20%
4 Vanoise National Park 🇫🇷 France
~20%
5 Ecrins National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
6 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
7 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Mountain Grasshopper in Hohe Tauern National Park?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Common Mountain Grasshopper sighting in Hohe Tauern National Park on a given day, based on 67 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 165 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.

When is the best time to see a Common Mountain Grasshopper in Hohe Tauern National Park?

September

In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Common Mountain Grasshopper in Hohe Tauern National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May, the lowest month. December has too few records to rate.

What time of day is best to see a Common Mountain Grasshopper?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Mountain Grasshopper sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Hohe Tauern National Park the best place to see a Common Mountain Grasshopper?

Yes

Of the 7 parks where we can rate Common Mountain Grasshopper sightings, Hohe Tauern National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Aigüestortes National Park (Spain, about 20%) and Triglav National Park (Slovenia, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Common Mountain Grasshopper live in Hohe Tauern National Park?

Same family: Acrididae

The closest relatives of the Common Mountain Grasshopper that you can see in Hohe Tauern National Park (family Acrididae, Short-horned Grasshoppers) are Club-Legged Grasshopper (about 30%), Common Green Grasshopper (about 20%) and Meadow Grasshopper (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Common Mountain Grasshopper sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Mountain Grasshopper is recorded against all the insects logged in Hohe Tauern National Park (67 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.

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