Species: Crau Plain Grasshopper

A species that exists only in the Crau

Endemic to the steppe grasslands of the Crau plainnear to Arles, the species has experienced a spectacular decline in the 20th century. Today, there are only three known sub-populations left:

a small relict population on seven hectares in Peau de Meau (National Nature Reserve of the Crau coussouls), the last in the centre of the Crau
two populations in the periphery of the Crau: one at Calissane (165 ha), straddling the Reserve and a military site, the other on the private BMW car testing site (85 ha).

It is listed as Critically Endangered on the global IUCN Red List and on the European Red List as well as on the French and Regional Red Lists. It is protected under French law.

To learn more about the Crau Plain Grasshopper, watch “A secret of the steppe”. This film was produced in 2019 by the animation studio Les Fées Spéciales supervised by the Conservatoire d’espaces naturels Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and the Chamber of Agriculture des Bouches-du-Rhône, both co-managers of the Crau Coussouls National Nature Reserve. It was supported by the following partners: WWF-World Wide Fund for Nature, National Geographic Society, DREAL Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Conseil départemental des Bouches-du-Rhône and Carrière de la Menudelle.

Criquet de Crau mâle © Lisbeth Zechner - CEN PACA

Who is the Crau Plain Grasshopper?

Scientific name: Prionotropis rhodanica Uvarov, 1923

Family: Pamphagidae. Only two species in France belong to this family. Both are endemic, endangered and protected (the second is the French Stone Grasshopper Prionotropis azami)

Size: Male 3.5 cm; female 4.5 cm

Life cycle of the species

The Crau Plain grasshopper spends most of the year in egg stage. The juveniles hatch at the beginning of April; after five moults, they reach the adult stage towards the end of May, depending on the weather conditions. Adults can be observed until the end of June or beginning of July.

News

Breeding and reintroduction

Hatching is underway!

Published: Avril 22 2024

The Conservatoire d’espaces naturels Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, the Parc Animalier de la Barben, and the Citadelle de Besançon are pleased to announce the birth of Primo, a beautiful baby Crau Plain Grasshopper measuring ...

Communicating and raising awareness

Call for participation to the Festival LIFE SOS Crau grasshopper

Published: Avril 22 2024

Become a partner of the LIFE SOS Crau grasshopper Festival to be held on 13 October at the Domaine départemental des Aulnes!

Communicating and raising awareness

A Europe-wide visit for the LIFE SOS Crau grasshopper project!

Published: Avril 22 2024

Launched in 2021, the LIFE SOS Crau Plain Grasshopper project has reached the half-way stage at the start of 2024. On 27 and 28 February, the LIFE project team was visited by Gustavo Becerra Jurado from CINEA (the European executive agency ...

Communicating and raising awareness

animations life 2023 crédit Delphine Lenôtre – cEN PACA (1)

The schools are out in the field!

Published: Avril 22 2024

As part of the Life Crau grasshopper educational project, the Conservatoire d’espaces naturels Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and the Parc animalier de La Barben are offering teachers two days of free activities aimed at ...

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