Green Milkweed Locust | de Wets Wild
The Green Milkweed Locust, or African Bush Grasshopper, is a large – up to 9cm long – poisonous locust that can congregate in enormous numbers (as we experienced on Sunday at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, apparently an annual occurrence there in September and October), and may migrate over great distances, flying strong and high. They feed on toxic plants and are rather sluggish on the ground, preferring to stay in trees and bushes and flying between them. When feeling threatened they will raise and rustle their wings and exude a noxious foam (poisonous if ingested) from their bodies as defense. Eggs are laid in the ground and the nymphs (also called “hoppers”) are highly gregarious, moving around in tight clusters until they are almost fully grown.
And yes, they scare me. Terribly.
Green Milkweed Locusts
Green Milkweed Locust in flight
Green Milkweed Locust nymphs
Green Milkweed Locust (nymphs)
This entry was posted in South African Wildlife and tagged African Bush Grasshopper, Bosstinksprinkaan, Green Milkweed Locust, nature, outdoors, Phymateus viridipes, wildlife on October 12, 2018 by de Wets Wild.
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48 thoughts on “Green Milkweed Locust”
aj vosse October 21, 2018 at 9:57 am
Ek lag nou ‘n bietjie… die grote Dries bang vir so ‘n kleine dingetjie!! 😉
Hoekome skryf jy nie vir ons ‘n Hitchcock riller nie… Locusts! 🙂
de Wets Wild Post author October 21, 2018 at 9:45 pm
Ek sal berading nodig he na ek daai boek klaar geskryf het. Nee maggies, die goed is monsters!
aj vosse October 21, 2018 at 10:05 pm
Ag shaaaim! Skaam jou! 😉
de Wets Wild Post author October 21, 2018 at 10:07 pm
Ek skaam my ja, veral as die klein kindertjies die goed probeer optel en ek al grillend skree dat hulle nie moet nie. Maar ek belowe jou, as een van hierdie goed in my nek kom land begrawe julle vir my…
anotherday2paradise October 13, 2018 at 3:15 am
Oh, I guess only their mothers love them. No friend of humans though. I think they’re really grotesque, but maybe that’s because I’m not an insect lover. 😱
de Wets Wild Post author October 13, 2018 at 3:31 am
Scary, scary creatures these!
Abrie Joubert October 16, 2018 at 9:39 pm
colonialist October 13, 2018 at 12:36 am
Definite yuck! Obviously NOT what fed Biblical characters accompanied by wild honey.
de Wets Wild Post author October 13, 2018 at 3:30 am
Thank goodness poor old John had other options, he had it tough enough already!
Abrie Joubert October 16, 2018 at 9:40 pm
Het nou deurmekaar geraak Smiley was eintlik vir hierdie opmerking 🙂
Tish Farrell October 12, 2018 at 10:35 am
A handsome green beestie!
de Wets Wild Post author October 12, 2018 at 10:39 am
A scary green monster if you ask me, Tish! 😀
Tish Farrell October 12, 2018 at 10:59 am
petrujviljoen October 12, 2018 at 10:34 am
Grillerige goed! Nie geweet hulle is giftig nie. Ek’t eendag ‘n groot groep gesien, sonder hulle vlerke, (nie volgroeide sprinkane nie) saamgedrom op ‘n rots waar naby ek gesit het om die wereld te bekyk. Toe ek nader gaan om te sien wat daar aangaan, het hulle soos een groep aanbeweeg, stadig, tot om die rots waar ek hulle nie meer kon bekyk nie. Dit was reg op die rand van die kloof so ek kon nie omloop om verder die gedoente te bekyk nie. Ongelukkig nie my kamera by my gehad om ‘n foto te neem nie. Ek dink partykeer my kat is meer ‘bushwise’ as ek – sy kom nie naby hulle nie! Een eendag op die sypaadjie van die huis na die hek toe gekry, sy’t ver om die ding geloop toe dog ek, ek beter dit ook vermy!
de Wets Wild Post author October 12, 2018 at 10:38 am
Jou kat is beslis baie slim, want een van hierdie kan verseker doodmaak!
Wat jy gesien het is ongetwyfeld n groep jongelinge, Petru – hulle beweeg so in stywe bondels saam totdat hulle feitlik volgroeid is.
petrujviljoen October 12, 2018 at 10:46 am
Lyk ek sal die besem saam my moet rond dra van nou af! Was een van die meer interessante dinge wat ek beskou het hier rond! Ek kon nie help om te wonder hoekom hulle links om die rots gegaan het, na die rand van die kloof toe en nie ander kant om waar ek nader aan hulle sou kon kom om te sien nie. Het hulle geweet?
de Wets Wild Post author October 12, 2018 at 11:22 am
Instink is n wonderlike ding!
scrapydo2.wordpress.com October 12, 2018 at 9:22 am
Nou lag ek lekker vir jou. Ek het in die hoërskool die biologie klas voorsien van die sprinkane te desekteer. Het hul gevang en in bottels in my skooltas saamgevat op die bus. Die juffrou moes op einde vir my se dis genoeg ek moenie nig bring nie. Hul skop lekker seer en stink beslis erg!
de Wets Wild Post author October 12, 2018 at 9:23 am
Nee gits, Ineke – jy is een brawe dame!
scrapydo2.wordpress.com October 13, 2018 at 12:11 am
Jong, ek kon nie maklik my uitspreek in woorde nie maar as dit by die natuur gekom het was ek in my element. Die Wetas hier het sulke klikkende kakebene en ook agterbene met hakies aan waarmee hul skop. Ek verkyk my aan die kinders as hul een hanteer. Selfs Trompie gril hom dood vir die voelers en kake.
de Wets Wild Post author October 13, 2018 at 3:26 am
Monsters in die kleine
scrapydo2.wordpress.com October 13, 2018 at 9:48 am
Ha ha, beslis.
Photography Journal Blog October 12, 2018 at 8:02 am
It’s a great post, but not sure I would be so happy to see these in real life.
de Wets Wild Post author October 12, 2018 at 9:02 am
I also prefer to appreciate them from afar P.J.B!
Anne October 12, 2018 at 7:37 am
Very interesting and informative – a good read.
de Wets Wild Post author October 12, 2018 at 9:01 am
I really should get a decent insect guidebook!
Reflections of an Untidy Mind October 12, 2018 at 5:42 am
Can anything safely eat them? Someone should make a horror movie about them.
de Wets Wild Post author October 12, 2018 at 7:20 am
Not a movie I would watch though, they already give me nightmares!
We watched them carefully and not a single bird made any attempt to snatch one. I think if they are poisonous enough to kill a human then everything that shares their world would probably know better than to snack on one…
Reflections of an Untidy Mind October 12, 2018 at 10:22 am
They shall inherit the earth then.
de Wets Wild Post author October 12, 2018 at 10:25 am
I think their numbers are controlled by other factors, for instance too much or too little rainfall, late cold snaps, etc.
perdebytjie October 12, 2018 at 5:36 am
Hulle is taamlik grillerig, veral daardie hakies aan die bene. Mooi foto’s in vlug, Dries!
de Wets Wild Post author October 12, 2018 at 7:19 am
Vir my is hulle meer as grillerig, Dina. Ek wil flou word net aan die gedagte dat een dalk in my nek sal land…
perdebytjie October 12, 2018 at 7:30 am
Selfs natuurmense het hul griile😉😂
de Wets Wild Post author October 12, 2018 at 9:00 am
Slange, paddas, skerpioene, spinnekoppe (en ek was 2 weke terug 2 nagte in die hospitaal met n spinnekopbyt aan die lip!), leeus, olifante, buffels – ek is glad nie bang vir hulle nie. Maar as groot sprinkane en “parktown prawns” net na my kant toe mik gil ek soos n graad 1 dogtertjie op n swaai…
perdebytjie October 12, 2018 at 10:26 am
Ag nee, weet jy watter spinnekop dit was? Dit kan lelik wees!
de Wets Wild Post author October 12, 2018 at 10:30 am
Nee, nooit uitgevind presies watter een dit was nie, maar het in my lewe nog nie sulke pyn beleef nie, veral toe my lip tot die dikte van n boerewors geswel en begin bars het nie… Kan nie glo dat n spinnekop mens se hele liggaam so siek kan maak nie, en ek is nogsteeds nie heeltemal 100% nie.
perdebytjie October 12, 2018 at 10:42 am
Sjoe, dit klink verskriklik,Dries! Ek hoop jy is gou weer perdfris. Ek het al gehoor van sulke spinnekopbyte, maar was darem nog nooit in so ‘n situasie nie. Blykbaar is die sakspinnekoppe en vioolspinnekoppe, die ergste gevare in die huis.
de Wets Wild Post author October 12, 2018 at 11:23 am
Mense vertel my die aakligste stories van gate wat inval en ledemate wat verloor word, so ek is dankbaar dat ek relatief lig daarvan afgekom het!
perdebytjie October 12, 2018 at 1:09 pm
Veral in jou gesig…kon lelike letsel veroorsaak. Maar gelukkig klink dit of alles reg sal kom. Lekker naweek, Dries.
de Wets Wild Post author October 12, 2018 at 1:43 pm
En vir julle ook dankie, Dina!
loisajay October 12, 2018 at 1:39 am
I can see why they scare you!
de Wets Wild Post author October 12, 2018 at 4:45 am
The mere thought of one of these landing in my neck is enough to make me want to pass out…
loisajay October 12, 2018 at 2:12 pm
this is like me and the roaches we have here. I can so relate.
sedge808 October 12, 2018 at 12:53 am
very beautiful, particularly like the purple bits.
de Wets Wild Post author October 12, 2018 at 4:46 am
They are quite beautiful in their own scary way…
naturebackin October 12, 2018 at 12:25 am
How amazing to capture them in flight!
There were so many flying about I had to succeed eventually, Carol! 😀
naturebackin October 12, 2018 at 6:10 am