Pink Animals You'll Find In The Wild

Sometimes, grasshoppers and their cousins, katydids, are discovered in radical pink hues straight out of the 1980s. In fact, one such insect – a hot-pink green meadow grasshopper found in the U.K. in July 2023 – went viral for looking like a long-lost Barbie accessory. But, as you might expect, "screaming pink" is not really an ideal color for these insects, as it makes them much more noticeable to predators. So, what gives?

Natural selection in grasshoppers and katydids typically favors colors like green, brown, gray, and sometimes yellow. That's because these earthier tones allow the insects to camouflage more effectively against the ground or vegetation. Currently, the most accepted explanation is that pink coloration in these insects is due to a type of genetic mutation called erythrism that alters the normal expression of color pigments.

A study conducted at the New Orleans Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium in the mid-2000s (via Scientific American) found that, in breeding different color morphs of the oblong-winged katydid (pictured), pink coloration surprisingly turned out to be dominant while the more common green coloration is recessive. This means that, while selection currently strongly favors green, other colors — such as orange and pink — still persist, though they are extremely rare. That's because, in nature, it's good to have options as environmental conditions are always changing. While they likely lead short lives today, there could come a time when being pink is advantageous.

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