Fancy wings..

Walking in the dry area close to the river is a fun experience, as for every step I take there is a big number of grasshoppers that jump out of my way, as if my putting down the feet released springs that ejected insects like fighter pilots from a burning plane! I've noticed that even if the colour of the grasshoppers on the ground is often rather "dull", when they are jumping there is a hint of blue in some, red in others. Photos on internet confirmed the existence of blue winged grasshopper, but I suspect that they are all photos of dead examples as I don't think it is very common to see grasshoppers with their wings spread out. Therefore I was very happy to find a grasshopper that moved its wings frenetically while still on ground and I was able to catch a glimpse of its blue wings.  According to wikipedia this species has invented "]the "hook" landing which serves to confuse potential attackers. Thus, the grasshopper lands and swings round to face the direction it has come from. The sudden disappearance of the blue hind wings of the adult makes it difficult for predators to shift quickly enough to a different kind of search to relocate the prey". This explains why it can be difficult to find the grasshopper once it has jumped just in front of your feet while walking in the dry area close to the river