Leichhardt's Grasshopper Petasida ephippigera Also Called: the children of the Lightning Man or Namarrgon

ABC Science online - Gaudy Grasshopper brings on The Wet

Piers Barrow: The role of fire in the ecology of Leichhardt's grasshopper (Petasida ephippigera) and its food plants, Pityrodia spp.

CSIRO - Entomology, Petasida ephippigera White

Russell-Smith, J.(2002): Pre-contact Aboriginal, and Contemporary Fire Regimes of the Savanna Landscapes of Northern Australia: Patterns, Changes and Ecological Processes Australian Fire Regimes: Contemporary Patterns (April 1998 - March 2000) and Changes Since European Settlement
Australia: State of the Environment Second Technical Paper Series (Biodiversity), Series 2. Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2002. ISBN 0 642 54801 3

TERC Publication Briefing Note - INVERTEBRATE Publication.  Preliminary investigations of the biology and management of Leichhardt's grasshopper, Petasida ephippigera White.

Fiery end feared for Top End's favourite hopper p.5 [Open PDF file; 188KB]
Leichhardt's grasshopper, Petasida ephippigera, is dependent on aromatic shrubs of the genus Pityrodia, on which it lives and feeds. The colourful grasshopper, which is known to occur in the Kakadu and Keep River National Parks, NT, could be endangered by the fire management practices in the parks. ECOS Magazine Towards Sustainable Ecosystems

Russell-Smith, J. (1996): Developing a coordinated approach to fire management and monitoring across northern Australia: common issues, opportunities. North Australian Rural Fire Managers Technical Workshop, Darwin, 20-23 October 1996

Piers Barrow, Doctor of Philosophy (Science) "The role of fire in the ecology of Leichhardt's grasshopper (Petasida ephippigera) and the sandstone heaths of the Northern Territory" University Postgraduate Research Scholarships

Calaby, J.H. & Key, K.H.L. (1973): Rediscovery of the spectacular Australian Grasshopper Petasida ephippigera White (Orthoptera: Pyrgomorphidae). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society, Volume 12: 161-164.

Chaloupka, G. (1993): Journey in Time: the world's longest continuing art tradition. The 50,000 year story of the Australian Aboriginal Rock Art of Arnhem Land. Reed Books.

Fletcher, M. T., Lowe L. M., Kitching W., and König W. A. (2000): Chemistry of Leichhardt's grasshopper, Petasida ephippigera, and its host plants, Pityrodia jamesii, P. ternifolia and P. pungens. Journal of Chemical Ecology 26: 2275-90.

Greenslade, P. & Lowe, L. (1998): Leichhardt's Grasshopper. Nature Australia

Lees, A.: "Singing in the Rain: a visit to Kakadu National Park's Nourlangie Rock when it is really pouring". Geo Volume 8 No.4.

Lowe, L. (1995): Preliminary investigations of the Biology and management of Leichhardt's grasshopper, Petasida ephippigera White. Journal of Orthoptera Research 4: 219-221.

Rentz, D. (1996): Grasshopper Country: the abundant orthopteroid insects of Australia. UNSW Press.

Rentz, D.C.F, Lewis, R.C., Su, Y.N. & Upton, M.S. (2003): A Guide to Australian Grasshoppers and Locusts. Natural History Publications (Borneo). ISBN 983-812-074-X

Wilson, C.G. and Barrow, P.H. (2003): Leichhardt`s grasshopper: endangered or what? Proceedings of the 34th Australian Entomological Society/6th Invertebrate Biodiversity and Conservation Combined Conference, 28 September - 3 October 2003, Hobart, Tasmania.

Wilson, CG, Barrow, PH and Michell, CR (2003): New locations and host plants for Leichhardt´s grasshopper Petasida ephippigera White (Orthoptera) ....