Kosciuscola sp. nov. 2 'K. tristis Hotham and Sth Vic Clade'

This grasshopper belongs to the genus Kosciuscola, a group of alpine and subalpine grasshoppers within the family Acrididae endemic to Australia's high country. Like its congeners, it is a small to medium-sized flightless or weak-flying grasshopper adapted to cold montane conditions, with individuals likely showing the temperature-dependent colour change documented in related species, where body colouration shifts with ambient temperature to aid thermoregulation. As an herbivorous insect, it feeds on alpine vegetation and contributes to nutrient cycling and the invertebrate prey base supporting birds and other predators in these ecosystems.

This taxon is restricted to Australia, occurring in forest and shrubland habitats associated with the Mount Hotham region and adjacent high-elevation areas of southern Victoria. Its distribution is naturally limited by its dependence on cool, high-altitude environments.

The species faces several ongoing pressures. Recreational activities, including those associated with ski resort infrastructure and tourism, disturb and fragment its restricted habitat. Invasive species, potentially including predators, competitors, or disease-carrying organisms, pose additional risk.

Habitat shifting driven by climate change threatens the cool montane conditions this grasshopper requires, while altered fire regimes and fire suppression practices affect the structure and composition of its shrubland and forest habitat.

Specific conservation programs targeting this taxon are not well documented, though it may benefit indirectly from broader alpine national park management and habitat protection measures in Victoria's high country.

Given its narrow range, specialised habitat requirements, and the compounding effects of climate-driven habitat change alongside recreational and fire-related disturbance, this species remains vulnerable. Population trends are currently unknown, limiting precise assessment of its trajectory, though its restricted distribution suggests continued monitoring is warranted.