Feeding on leaves of Acokanthera oppositifolia

Assembling on Euclea crispa

Phymateus viridipes Stal, aka Green Milkweed Locust or African Bush Grasshopper, belonging to the family Pyrgomorphidae (Gaudy Grasshoppers), is an African locust about 70 millimetres (2.8 in) long at maturity and capable of long migratory flights. Its body and forewings are green in colour while the hindwings are bright red and blue, presenting a striking appearance in flight. The pronotum, or dorsal area immediately behind the head, is covered in spines or carbuncles which are often tipped with red. The nymphs or hoppers are bright yellow and black and highly gregarious, forming large groups during this growth stage and are more or less polyphagous. ^[1] As with other Phymateus species it raises and rustles its wings when disturbed and may secrete a noxious fluid from its thoracic joint.^[2] This locust feeds on highly toxic plants such as Acokanthera oppositifolia and Secamone alpinii. They congregate in large numbers on trees and shrubs, arranged in such a way as to resemble foliage. (see image)

Females of the allied species Phymateus morbillosus are unable to fly, despite fully developed wings. ^[3]

The genus Phymateus was created by Thunberg in 1815 and is found in Southern, Central and East Africa, through Somalia and Madagascar to India.^[4]

• Phymateus aegrotus (Gerstäcker, 1869)
• P. baccatus (Stål, 1876)
• P. cinctus (Fabricius, 1793) = P. stolli (Saussure, 1861) = P. flavus (I. Bolivar, 1903) = P. squarrosus (Houttuyn, 1813)
• P. leprosus (Fabricius, 1793)
• P. morbillosus (Linnaeus, 1758)
• P. pulcherrimus (I. Bolívar, 1904)
• P. purpurascens (Karsch, 1896)
• P. saxosus (Coquerel, 1862)
• P. viridipes (Stål, 1873)

References

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