Walang batik (Valanga nigricornis insularis)

Walang batik or batik valanga (Valanga nigricornis insularis) is a grasshopper subspecies in Acrididae, living arborial in bushes and trees in open habitats, very large sexual dimorphism with 45-55 mm long males and 15-75 mm females, pale green nymphs with markings dark sign.

V. nigricornis insularis live in large groups to colonize the area, adult females are yellowish brown, yellowish or green with bluish-black markings and the hind wings will look rose red when flying.

Males have black fake wings, black-brown heads, black eyes, black antennae, chest and abdomen yellow with black features, reddish-brown legs with black features, brown underside, brown upper legs and black underside.

Walang batik has one generation every year with four eggs laid on moist soil in the clearing of the forest. The eggs will remain inactive throughout the dry season and take 6-8 months to hatch before the rainy season.

The hatching eggs produce nymphs for 6-7 instar stages before becoming adults which are usually in January-February. Nymphs and adults are diurnal and like to bask in the sun to eat leaves.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Subclass: Pterygota
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Caelifera
Infraorder: Acrididea
Superfamily: Acridoidea
Family: Acrididae
Subfamily: Cyrtacanthacridinae
Tribe: Cyrtacanthacridini
Genus: Valanga
Species: Valanga nigricornis
Subspecies: Valanga nigricornis ssp. insularis

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