and Purple Moor Grass. The record for Danbury Common, on open heathy areas
surrounded by woodland, is the furthest east it has been found by ten kilometres, and it
would be interesting to conduct detailed searches of other Essex heathlands further east,
notably Tiptree, Layer Breton and Fordham, in the hope that perhaps a small colony may
exist.
The species is, however, totally absent from many coastal areas in the east and south
east of the country and the Essex coasts are no exception.
Omocestus viridulus
Chorthippus brunneus: Common field grasshopper
Probably the commonest grasshopper in the County, C.brunneus is the only orthopteroid
to have been recorded in each of the 57 10km squares in Essex. A medium-sized insect,
it comes in the largest variety of colour forms of all the grasshoppers and crickets, but
in Essex is most likely to be found with a brownish colouration and varying degrees of
stripes.
This insect is found over a wide range of habitats but is most often seen in dry, short
turfed grassland, particularly in urban situations such as disused railway lines or derelict
industrial areas, where a meagre covering of grassland exists. It is also found inhabiting
small gardens close to town centres such as in Chelmsford and Colchester and is
probably the orthopteroid best adapted to exploiting the urban environment. From a car,
it is quite easy to spot 'brunneus' verges with practice; often sloping, and with a typical
sparse sandy look about them. In taller and lusher vegetation Chorthippus parallelus is
much more likely to be the dominant species. In the more rural areas and particularly in
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