Italopodisma lagrecai
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Italopodisma lagrecai faces severe threats from its extremely restricted range in the Italian Alps, where habitat degradation from tourism infrastructure and recreational activities directly impacts its specialized montane grassland environment. Climate change poses an additional critical threat, as warming temperatures force this cold-adapted species to retreat to increasingly higher elevations with diminishing suitable habitat. The species' limited dispersal ability and small population size make it particularly vulnerable to local extinctions from habitat disturbance.
Habitat
This critically endangered grasshopper inhabits specialized alpine and subalpine grasslands in the Italian Alps, typically found at elevations between 1,500-2,500 meters. It requires specific microhabitat conditions including sparse vegetation cover and rocky substrates that provide both feeding opportunities and shelter.
