Rare pink grasshopper discovery by 7-year-old Ataberk

Ataberk Göktuğ Güney, a second-grade student at ODTU GVO who lives in Ankara and loves observing biological diversity in nature, found an extremely rare pink-colored grasshopper near the Ören coast in the Burhaniye district of Balıkesir, where he was vacationing with his family.

Pink grasshoppers appear as a result of a genetic mutation called erythrism, which affects a recessive gene similar to the one that causes albinism in humans. Erythrism in grasshoppers was first described in 1887 in a species of longhorn grasshopper.

PINK GRASSHOPPER IS A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME SIGHT

Collectors and explorers have reported seeing pink grasshoppers only occasionally. This mutation in insects is extremely rare, and seeing a pink grasshopper is undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Although the pink color looks distinct and special, it is stated that it poses a major disadvantage for grasshoppers because it makes them easily noticeable by predators. It has previously been recorded in Austin, Texas, in the USA, and in Devon, England.

Stating that her 7-year-old son loves insects very much, Beynun Güney said, "We have observed his interest and curiosity toward animals from a very young age. In addition to his observations in nature, the books he reads, the documentaries he watches, and his research in this direction have always excited him. But grasshoppers have a completely different place in his world. He is a child who can spend hours in green areas and be happy observing them." After this fascinating discovery, nature-lover Ataberk completed his examination of the grasshopper he had taken home and released it back into nature.