Who knows what befell this beautiful Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, but he will not be hopping anytime soon. Poor fellow lost his left rear jumper leg before our very eyes. Really quite sad how brutal nature can be. The Lubber, Romalea Microptera, is often used in biology class for dissecting. Romalea, also unable to fly, sequesters and synthesizes chemicals from the plants it eats, turning them into toxic secretions that predators learn quickly to avoid. A Shrike (Shrike the Impaler) might take this lovely Romalea and impale him on a thorn, leaving him to dry for a few days by which time the toxins will have vanished making for a well deserved meal.
Nikon Z6, 28-399mm, 300mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec, ISO 400
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