Slender Gumleaf Grasshopper - Goniaea vocans
Goniaea is another genus from the large grasshopper Acrididae family. Although these Gumleaf Grasshoppers are a little different by eating dead gumleaves, and are therefore usually encountered on the ground under eucalypts. They forage during the day and hide at night under leaf-litter, which brings into question their orange/brown coloration that is not a good disguise amongst the dominant grey toning of fallen vegetation. However, I would think this coloration is not primarily for concealment, but to advertise, their distasteful nature due to a diet of eucalypt leaves.
The ones seen locally, have been in a low-lying, flood plain (cool and moist in an otherwise dry environment) that is not too overgrown. Here they have been observed from January to April, although infrequently.
My thanks to Dr David Rentz for identification.
