A rare pink grasshopper has been spotted in the reeds near a small lake in Ipswich, Suffolk, UK.
The insect's body and legs were the color of cotton candy, and the eyes were large and white. With such external data, the grasshopper did not have the slightest chance to be ignored. The gorgeous photos were taken by amateur photographer Richard Taylor. A man was walking during his lunch break when a bright creature caught his eye.
Usually grasshoppers are green or brown. This helps them blend in with their surroundings and remain unnoticed. The pink color of the insect is due to a rare genetic mutation called erythrism. The mutation either reduces the production of normal pigment in grasshoppers or increases the production of red pigment. The result is a strange pink color that is extremely rare in the wild. Unfortunately, few pink grasshoppers live to adulthood as they are easily spotted by predators.
Most people would be happy to photograph at least one such insect in their lifetime. But Richard Taylor meets the second pink grasshopper - and in the same place. The photographer believes that two unusual insects may be related.
“Incredible - this pink grasshopper and the one I saw last year were only a few meters apart. I very much doubt that they are the same insect and that it could be a coincidence. Is there a family of pink grasshoppers in Ipswich?”Taylor says.