S P E C I E S L I S T
Erythrism (unusual reddish pigmentation)
Erythrism or erythrochroism refers to an unusual reddish pigmentation of an animal’s fur, hair, skin, feathers, or eggshells.[1]
Causes of erythrism include
- genetic mutations which cause an absence of a normal pigment and/or excessive production of others[2]
- diet, as in bees feeding on maraschino juice[3]
Erythrism in katydids has been occasionally observed. The coloring might be a camouflage that helps some members of the species survive on red plants.[4] There is also consensus that the erythristic mutation is actually a dominant trait among katydid species, albeit a disadvantageous one, due to the overwhelmingly green coloration of most foliage. Hence, most pink or otherwise vividly colored katydids do not survive to adulthood, and this observation explains their rarity.[5]
Mr Pink: The Pink Grasshopper
Rare Pink Meadow Grasshopper(Chorthippus parallelus)
It’s Not Easy Being Pink
Rare Hybrid Pink Grasshopper