Kosciuscola sp. nov. 5 'K. cuneatus Mt Buffalo and Sth Vic Clade'

This undescribed grasshopper, referred to provisionally as Kosciuscola sp. nov. 5 'K.

cuneatus Mt Buffalo and Sth Vic Clade', belongs to the family ACRIDIDAE and is classified as Endangered (EN) under IUCN criteria. Like other members of the genus Kosciuscola, it is a cold-adapted alpine grasshopper likely showing the group's characteristic thermochromic colour change, shifting from dark hues in cool conditions to paler tones as temperatures rise, an adaptation that helps regulate body heat in exposed montane environments. This clade is restricted to high-elevation habitat in the Mt Buffalo plateau and associated peaks of southern Victoria, Australia, where it occupies alpine and subalpine grassland, herbfield, and rocky outcrop mosaics above the treeline.

Its narrow, fragmented distribution across isolated mountain summits makes it a textbook example of an alpine island endemic, with populations likely separated by unsuitable lowland terrain that limits gene flow and recolonisation potential. Population trend data are currently unknown, reflecting the logistical challenges of surveying small, high-altitude insect populations in remote terrain, though its restricted range alone is sufficient grounds for its threatened status. On a more encouraging note, Mt Buffalo lies within a national park, affording the species a degree of habitat protection from direct human disturbance such as grazing and development, and growing scientific interest in Australia's alpine invertebrate fauna is improving prospects for future taxonomic description and targeted monitoring.

Continued survey work and formal species description will be critical to securing conservation resources and legal recognition for this distinctive mountain grasshopper.

This species inhabits alpine and subalpine grassland, herbfield, and rocky outcrop habitats above the treeline on Mt Buffalo and neighbouring peaks in southern Victoria, Australia.