Valanga irregularis
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
Valanga irregularis, the giant grasshopper, giant valanga or hedge grasshopper, is a large grasshopper belonging to the family Acrididae. The largest grasshopper in Australia, its distribution is restricted to the Australian tropics and subtropics. They are a solitary species.
Both sexes look similar but differ in body size. Female individuals can reach up to 60 to 75 millimetres in length, males about 45 to 55 millimetres, hence they count as the largest grasshopper in Australia and in Southern African countries. Some reports refer a body length up to 90 millimetres.
The body colour and pattern varies highly. Adults have a creamy brown to greyish green colouring. The forewings show a black dot pattern, the hindwings are dark grey, sometimes also colourless or light green. At the tibia orange and red spines with black stings are visible.
Valanga irregularis is native in the tropic and subtropic regions of Australia, northward of Sydney, although in WA they are found as far south as Perth. The species favours a moist climate. In spring and autumn they are often found in grassland or forest. If the atmospheric conditions are ideal they sometimes leave... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
No species of the same family or order lives in Nitmiluk National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other insects.
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Grasshopper sighting in Nitmiluk National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 8th most-seen of the 17 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Giant Grasshopper in Nitmiluk National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July and August, the lowest months. That is one of Nitmiluk National Park's driest months, with about 45 mm of rain against 270 mm in January.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Giant Grasshopper sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Giant Grasshopper sightings, Nitmiluk National Park ranks 2nd at about 30%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Daintree National Park (Australia, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Giant Grasshopper is recorded against all the insects logged in Nitmiluk National Park (10 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.
