Common corncockle vs Common Straw Grasshopper

Agrostemma githago compared with Euchorthippus declivus

Key Differences

• Common corncockle is Critically Endangered while Common Straw Grasshopper is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common corncockle	Common Straw Grasshopper
Kingdom	Plantae (planta)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Arthropoda (artrópodos)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Insecta (insecto)
Order	Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)	Orthoptera (Orthoptera)
Family	Caryophyllaceae	Acrididae
Genus	Agrostemma	Euchorthippus
Species	Agrostemma githago	Euchorthippus declivus

Conservation Status

Common corncockle

CR — Critically Endangered

Common Straw Grasshopper

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common corncockle	Common Straw Grasshopper
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common corncockle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including montane grasslands and shrublands, tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, and temperate coniferous forests, among 13 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Lesotho), Asia (7 countries), Europe (24 countries), North America (Canada, Mexico, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Brazil, Chile). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Straw Grasshopper

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Common corncockle

<em>Agrostemma githago</em>, commonly known as common corncockle, is an annual flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. Once a widespread weed of cereal crops across Europe, Asia, and beyond, this species is now Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to the dramatic decline caused by modern agricultural practices, particularly improved grain cleaning and herbicide use. Corncockle is a tall, slender plant covered in silky white hairs, bearing large, solitary pink to purple flowers with distinctive dark veining. Its seeds contain toxic saponin compounds called githagins, which historically contaminated grain supplies. The species now survives primarily in wildflower conservation areas, seed banks, and traditional farmland conservation schemes. It typically grows in open, disturbed arable soils with full sun exposure. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Common Straw Grasshopper

<em>Euchorthippus declivus</em>, the common straw grasshopper, is an orthopteran insect in the family Acrididae, order Orthoptera. It is found primarily in dry grasslands, steppe habitats, and open scrubland across much of central and southern Europe and western Asia. The species is a typical grassland acridid, feeding on grasses and herbaceous plants, and is active during warmer months of the year. Males are notably smaller than females, and the species produces stridulatory sounds used in mate attraction, a characteristic of the family. <em>Euchorthippus declivus</em> plays an important role in grassland food webs as both herbivore and prey for birds, reptiles, and invertebrate predators. Geographic range data beyond its general European distribution remain incompletely documented at the global scale. Biological traits including average lifespan, body measurements under field conditions, and detailed dietary specificity remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. The species is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, indicating no immediate conservation threats, though grassland habitat loss across Europe may pose long-term pressures on local populations.