Dactylotum Bicolor

[pascal2023]

"Dactylotum bicolor, also known as the rainbow grasshopper, painted grasshopper, or the barber pole grasshopper."

I found this online today, I wonder if a chameleon would eat this? Id imagine those bicolour grasshoppers are tutti frutti flavour compared to your average grasshopper haha

 

[Morpheo's Mom]

It sure is a pretty bug

 

[Tkrd69]

Bright colors usually mean don't eat me. It is pretty for a grasshopper

 

[kinyonga]

Usually brightly colored bugs can be poisonous...but some are mimicking the colors and as a result they won't be eaten.
This is all I could find so far about it...
https://edgewood.news/wild-things-rainbow-grasshopper-dactylotum-bicolor/

https://www.colorado.edu/cumuseum/2020/07/22/pictured-grasshopper

Look at what they eat as well ...if they eat toxic plants/vegetation, then they will likely not be a good food for a chameleon.

 

[DaChameleon66]

Very interesting! It reminds me of a panther chameleon but instead is a grasshopper.

 

[Beman]

I personally would not feed this. There are certain grasshoppers that are considered safe. And those I would buy from a breeder so there is low risk of parasites and no risk of toxic spray exposure. But there are those that are not safe and lubbers are in that category. But besides that you have the risk of introducing parasites. There are a few worms that infect grasshoppers. So wild caught insects come with this risk.

 

[pascal2023]

Just like to clarify in no way would I. Give this to a chameleon lol, it was a bit of a joke about the flavour but yes I’d imagine they are poisonous! I just found this photo on instagram

 

[pascal2023]

Bright colors usually mean don't eat me. It is pretty for a grasshopper

Yeah I wouldn’t give a chameleon one and wouldn’t even know where to find these anyway lol

 

[pascal2023]

Usually brightly colored bugs can be poisonous...but some are mimicking the colors and as a result they won't be eaten.
This is all I could find so far about it...
https://edgewood.news/wild-things-rainbow-grasshopper-dactylotum-bicolor/

https://www.colorado.edu/cumuseum/2020/07/22/pictured-grasshopper

Look at what they eat as well ...if they eat toxic plants/vegetation, then they will likely not be a good food for a chameleon.

Yeah I can imagine they are and that was a very interesting read!

 

[pascal2023]

I personally would not feed this. There are certain grasshoppers that are considered safe. And those I would buy from a breeder so there is low risk of parasites and no risk of toxic spray exposure. But there are those that are not safe and lubbers are in that category. But besides that you have the risk of introducing parasites. There are a few worms that infect grasshoppers. So wild caught insects come with this risk.

Yeah exactly, I just found this picture on instagram, some wildlife page, I wonder if chameleons ever come across poisonous bugs in the wild and know wether or not to eat them but yeah to clarify I wouldn’t feed anything to my chameleons that aren’t safe or if I have no knowledge about a certain insect

 

[Highway61]

It is native to the United States, Canada and northern Mexico and exhibits aposematism (warning coloration).

 

[pascal2023]

I think me posting this in the food/ feeding category gave people the wrong idea I’ve had a dm from someone and yeah I defo wouldn’t feed this to a chameleon it was a joke

 

[Beman]

I think me posting this in the food/ feeding category gave people the wrong idea I’ve had a dm from someone and yeah I defo wouldn’t feed this to a chameleon it was a joke

Yeah we don't always get the joke when someone asks if this item can be fed. Tend to go with opinion and facts rather than laughing lol.

 

[pascal2023]

Yeah we don't always get the joke when someone asks if this item can be fed. Tend to go with opinion and facts rather than laughing lol.

That’s my bad! I apologise

 

[pascal2023]

Haha @Beman are you able to delete this post for me please, I thought you might have the ability since you’re staff! I don’t want people thinking I’m going to feed this to my chameleon lol! I can’t see the option to delete it lol

 

[Tkrd69]

I didn't think you would. I was just talking about the colors. Didn't mean to cause a fuss, I'm sorry.

 

[Beman]

Haha @Beman are you able to delete this post for me please, I thought you might have the ability since you’re staff! I don’t want people thinking I’m going to feed this to my chameleon lol! I can’t see the option to delete it lol

No need to. Everything has its place in the forum. Someone may find this thread looking for info on this type of grasshopper and it will give them feedback without posting a thread if they do not want to.

Besides this grasshopper is much too pretty to feed in my opinion. What a little beauty that exists in this world.

 

[pascal2023]

I didn't think you would. I was just talking about the colors. Didn't mean to cause a fuss, I'm sorry.

No not at all I just didnt want people taking it the wrong way lol, I think I should’ve specified that it was a joke lol, it’s all good

 

[Tonyww93]

Dont worry its probably like $20 for a set of 3 of those hoppers anyways that cham better get a job instead of sittin and lookin pretty lmao

 

[SauceGandhi]

Dactylotum bicolor are toxic in the wild but can be non-toxic in captivity if fed regular greens. Hope this helps