Bei-Bienko's plump bush-cricket is a flightless, herbivorous invertebrate endemic to Slovakia in Central Europe. There are three core subpopulations of the bush-cricket, but these groups are isolated, and the habitat is shrinking. Bush-crickets mainly feed on flowering plants found on karst plains. Bei-Bienko's plump bush-cricket is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The main threats facing the bush-cricket are habitat loss, population isolation and hybridization.
If awarded $1 million from the Indianapolis Zoo’s Saving Species Challenge, conservationists would take the following steps:
- Manage, conserve and restore high-quality habitat of the Karst grasslands
- Postpone mowing season
- Prevent spread of invasive plants
- Prevent conversion of high-quality habitats into cropland
- Reconnect isolated subpopulations
- Establish backup populations
You can learn more about Bei-Bienko's plump bush-cricket from the IUCN SSC Grasshopper Specialist Group.
The winner of the Indianapolis Zoo’s Saving Species Challenge will be announced later this year. Bookmark www.ProtectSpecies.com for updates.
