A Louisiana woman got the surprise of her life when she found a rare pink grasshopper in her yard over the weekend.
Mary Vesich Phuphanich caught the brightly colored insect, which is technically known as an “pink katydid” and took it to the Audubon Insectarium, WSDU reported. (RELATED: Video Shows Extremely Rare Rhino Taking Mud Bath)
Have you ever seen a pink grasshopper? A genetic mutation called erythrism (the overproduction of red pigment) leaves some individuals looking pretty in pink! Though these rare insects are beautiful, their vivid coloring makes hiding from predators much more difficult. pic.twitter.com/o59xKPwqus
— American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH) January 25, 2023
The Audubon Insectarium says that pink grasshoppers are rare because their bright colors attract predators. The organization plans on putting the specimen on public display, according to WSDU.
This is the second find in three months. In April, Kewana Fuller found a pink grasshopper at her Arkansas school during recess, according to KY3.
“I stumbled across it and was like, ‘oh my gosh, is that a grasshopper?’ My mind was just blown because I’ve never seen something like it before,” said Fuller, according to the outlet.
During St. Patrick’s Day weekend in 2022, Ohio resident and environmental inspector Dirk Parker was walking in the woods of East Texas where he discovered a pink grasshopper, according to NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth.
“The pink just popped out,” said Parker, according to the outlet. “I thought, ‘Oh that’s cool,’ and I took a picture of it and went back to my hotel.”