Oxya yezoensis is a small rice-field grasshopper native to Japan, named for its short wings that often don't reach the tip of the abdomen. It is one of the grasshoppers traditionally eaten in Japan, simmered in soy sauce and sugar. It does not occur in the United States.
Appearance
- Appearance
- Males are about 1.1–1.3 in (28–34 mm) long and females about 1.6 in (40 mm). Bright green with a black stripe along each side. Most have short wings, but some long-winged individuals occur.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Rice paddies
- Wet grassy areas
- Range
- Found throughout Japan, from Hokkaido to the Nansei Islands, and in Taiwan. Not found in North America.
Behavior
- Diet
- Eats the leaves of rice and other grasses.
- Overwintering
- In fall, females lay eggs in foam-covered pods in the soil or at the base of grasses; the eggs survive the winter.
Life cycle
- Larva
- Rice grasshoppers in Japan generally hatch in late spring, molt several times, and become adults in summer, with one generation a year. Adults of this species start appearing around July.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- Rice grasshoppers were once eaten all over Japan; today the custom survives mainly in Nagano Prefecture and the Tohoku region.
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