Critically Endangered Grasshopper Found in the Wilderness
A critically endangered grasshopper species, previously known from only one other location in Denmark, has been spotted in Saksfjed Wilderness. Naturalist Jens Thorving Andersen calls the discovery “a sensation.”
The species, known as the blue-winged desert grasshopper, has now been observed in Saksfjed Wilderness on southern Lolland.
It was nature educator Jens Thorving Andersen who first encountered the grasshopper with its distinctive blue wings and quickly documented the find. He describes the discovery as a remarkable event:
In a Danish context, this is like finding a black rhino. It’s a sensation. In Denmark, the blue-winged desert grasshopper is only found on Bornholm, and even there, it is in decline and at risk of extinction
A Species in Need of Habitat
Jens Thorving Andersen suggests that the grasshopper may have flown across the Femern Belt from Germany. The species prefers a warm and dry climate, which explains its limited distribution in Denmark.
With rising temperatures due to global warming, it is not unrealistic that the blue-winged desert grasshopper could establish itself in more areas of the country. However, in order to increase the population, suitable habitats that meet the grasshopper’s specific needs must be created.
The biggest challenge for rare species is the loss of their habitats. To reverse the decline, we need to return more space to nature. That’s exactly what we are doing in Saksfjed Wilderness, which could become a new home for the grasshopper and other species
Saksfjed Wilderness Could Become a New Stronghold
According to Jens Thorving Andersen, Saksfjed Wilderness has all the conditions necessary to support a population of the species, and together with his colleagues, he is now investigating whether a population of the blue-winged desert grasshopper already exists in the wild landscapes of Lolland.
The blue-winged desert grasshopper is a habitat specialist, requiring specific environmental conditions to survive. The species prefers open, warm, and dry sandy areas. On Bornholm, the grasshopper inhabits military training grounds, where tank tracks have created the bare soil patches needed for the species to thrive. In Saksfjed Wilderness, it is wild horses and cattle that graze and trample the ground, naturally creating the right conditions for the grasshopper.
This is not the only remarkable discovery in Saksfjed Wilderness recently. A new species of wasp, Netelia caucasica, was also recorded in Denmark for the first time. This nocturnal parasitic wasp is considered rare throughout its range, which includes Germany and Sweden.
