Tettigidea empedonepia
Overview
Tettigidea empedonepia, the Torreya pygmy grasshopper, is a species of grasshopper in the family Tetrigidae. The type locality is Camp Torreya in Liberty County, Florida. According to Orthoptera Species File, it has also been found in Cuba.
Tettigidea empedonepia faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to urban development and agricultural expansion within its extremely limited range. The species' specialized habitat requirements make it particularly vulnerable to environmental changes, while its small population size increases extinction risk from stochastic events. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns that could affect the moisture-dependent microhabitats this grasshopper requires.
Habitat
This critically endangered grasshopper inhabits specialized microhabitats within grassland and prairie ecosystems, typically requiring specific soil moisture conditions and native plant communities. The species appears to be restricted to a very limited geographic range with highly specific ecological requirements.
