It’s a rare sight: a small, elongated insect in bright Barbie pink.
It’s a pink katydid, an insect resembling a grasshopper that has a recessive gene that changes its usual light green color to bright pink.
Geoff Pekor is an insect enthusiast who spends his hobby searching for these and other unusual insects in Ojibway Park. He recently spotted a pink katydid — but it’s not the first one he’s found.
In fact, he has a knack for it.
“If anyone knows anything about pink katydids, they’re not common,” Pekor said. “They say it’s about one in 500, more or less, but that’s how it started for me, I just found a couple at night and then I kept going and kept finding them.
“It was very unusual… most people only see one thing in their entire life, but I was able to see a whole bunch.”
Pekor started looking for them when another nature and insect lover showed him a photo. Later, at night, he searched for insects, using a flashlight to navigate the trails.
“I accidentally pointed my flashlight right at this beautiful pink grasshopper,” he said.
Pekor is a photographer, especially interested in macro photography. He has a collection of photos of pink katydids.
Pekor works as a volunteer at several Ontario universities, cataloging insects, including some types of spiders and now pink katydids. His photos of rare katydids have even caught the attention of the Montreal Insectarium, and representatives have come (permit in hand) to collect some katydids for display.
As for why Pekor has such a knack for finding grasshoppers, he believes it has to do with the time he spends looking for them.
“My theory is that during the day, this species generally sticks to the base of the plant and stays quite low to avoid predators,” he said. “At night, I’ve noticed that my pink katydids are more or less near the tops of the plants.
“So I assume they’re comfortable at night. And that’s perfect for me because I’m out at night and I’m scanning the tops of vegetation and they’re there.”
He adds, however, that the Ojibwa appear to be home to many unusual and rare species, not just grasshoppers.
“It never ends. You just never know what you’re going to find…it’s a really special place.”
What makes grasshoppers pink?
A Michigan State University entomologist says the pink color is caused by a recessive gene.
“It’s a bit like an albino animal,” David Lowenstein told CBC Windsor.
“Most grasshoppers are green because they are herbivores. They want to blend in with the leaves they feed on so they don’t get eaten. But sometimes a mutation happens and you have cases that are pink.”
Lowenstein said this type of coloration occurs in about one in 500 insects and persists throughout their lives.
“It would remain pink as an immature life stage and as an adult. But if a pink grasshopper were to breed with a green grasshopper, it would likely be a green grasshopper as offspring,” he said.
“They are not toxic when in contact with them”
If you see a pink grasshopper and aren’t squeamish, you might be happy to know that “they’re not toxic to the touch.” In fact, Lowenstein said, “Seeing a pink grasshopper is nothing to be concerned about. You can approach it. If it’s an adult, it’ll probably fly away. But there’s nothing to be concerned about when you see an insect that looks like that.”
According to the entomologist, this is one of the “extraordinary oddities” found in the insect world.
“Sometimes it’s about the insect’s appearance, other times it’s about its function. The reason we don’t see many pink katydids is because katydids can be food for predators. They don’t have great defenses, and if you want to avoid being eaten and you’re hanging out on plants, it’s usually a good idea to look like a plant and not stand out.”
