The pink grasshopper

Mostly in the last couple of years, pink meadow grasshoppers (Chorthippus parallelus) have been sighted by adventurous children in the Belfast hills and Japan. National Geographic's headline was "No, it's not a cocktail" apparently to provide clarification for all those who go on the National Geographic website looking for vintage cocktail recipes. Other headlines were like "No, it's not spraypaint" and "They were tickled pink." Please take a minute to compliment me on my non-sensationalist headline.
If you have red hair and freckles, you know what it's like to be considered a freak of nature. But did you know that the phenomenon that causes red hair in people is thought to be a variation of that which causes funky coloring in other animals? It's called erythrism — an unusual reddish discoloration of anything from hair to skin to feathers. It can sometimes be caused by diet (as in the case of bees feeding on the colorful corn syrup in jars of maraschino cherries and then turning into little pink chubbers). But it's usually caused by a genetic mutation to favor recessive genes, which is the case with this fancy grasshopper:

Meadow grasshoppers aren't native to the United States, and are mostly found in the non-arid grasslands of Europe and nearby parts of Asia. They pretty much just run free across the moors and can't be tamed — like the Brönte sisters of bugs.
But it's not easy being pink — these grasshoppers rarely survive to adulthood because they're so visible to predators. Some scientists also suspect that the grasshoppers tend to lose their pink shade as they get older, which would further explain why almost all of the pink grasshopper sightings so far have been of nymphs.

The coolest thing about meadow grasshoppers is that they are a really important model organism for understanding the processes by which species disperse across geographic areas. This is called phylogeography — by looking at where individuals with different genetic variations live now, you can usually figure out what big events happened to their ancestors. In the case of the grasshoppers, we know their wings are totally useless, making geographic dispersal slow and incredibly deliberate.  This limitation explains why the population never moved northward past mountain ranges, and implies that it moved into certain parts of Europe only after glaciers had receded.

Just kidding, the coolest thing about meadow grasshoppers is that when they get scared, they can dive into a pond and cling to the bottom of an underwater plant for several minutes until they're convinced that the danger has passed. The coolest thing about pink meadow grasshoppers is that they've found a really showy way to differentiate themselves from these guys:

Which is a good call, because Hopper is probably the scariest Disney animated villain of all time. Not only is he the Balon Greyjoy of the buggy ecosystem, he's also voiced by Kevin Spacey, which is honestly too much horror for a child to handle. Just ask me, a person who has repressed the entirety of the A Bug's Life experience, with the exception of the short where the old guy plays chess against himself.

Hopper's body creaks when he moves, which is in keeping with the actual sounds made by grasshoppers — a rapid succession of about 35 high-pitched notes which are made by rubbing their hind femur against the edges of their wings like a violin bow. Which is cool, and many have applauded Pixar for the scientific accuracy it strives for in its films, but in this situation I think it's safe to say that a four year-old would rather have a slightly inaccurate portrayal of a bug than they would a villain whose demon body literally creaks like the beams of a haunted house every time he leans forward to menace someone.
Might I remind you: 

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10 Admirably Beautiful Insects

We would never usually associate insects and creepy crawlies with beauty. In fact, many of us find them more annoying creatures with painful bites or stings. However, if we take the time to really look at them, they do have a few physical features that make them beautiful.
Here are 10 insects that you might not mind admiring.

Stick Insect

At times, beauty isn’t measured with gorgeous colors. With stick insects, you can find their appeal in how they are shaped. They have top rating in camouflage since they look exactly like a stick and are almost impossible to spot when mixed with twigs and leaves.

Christmas Beetle

Imagine a bug that comes in all the colors of the rainbow. The Christmas Beetle’s shell has a shimmering, metallic quality to it that makes it shine and reflect different colors. They may not look the prettiest, but they are the most colorful.

Honey Bee

Something about their stripes and furry bodies make them a favorite subject for photos. Honey Bee are very well loved by gardeners since they help pollenate plants, plus they produce honey, which can make any baked good taste so much more awesome.

Signature Spider

Although most of us hate spiders because they just look scary, signature spiders come in different lovely colors that you’d forget that they make your skin crawl. These are found all over Asia and are generally harmless.

Grasshopper

You might think of these insects as boring because they are commonly seen in either green or brown, but some species of grasshoppers are actually quite colorful. They’re a visual surprise when seen in a group.

Caterpillars

Most prefer to wait for these bugs to turn to butterflies before calling them beautiful, but caterpillars can be a stunning surprise to see on a leaf. They come in all different colors and patterns, some even having textured bodies that just add to their appeal.

Ladybugs

Also known as ladybirds, these insects are probably one of the first things we think of seeing in gardens filled with flowers. They come in vivid yellow, orange, and the most common, red. Although they’re tiny, a closer look on their glossy colorful shells and black spots will make you appreciate them more.

Dragonfly

Delicate and colorful, anyone can say that a dragonfly is beautiful when they spot one. You can see iridescent greens and blues on their wings and thin, long bodies. But since they’re very fast and small, you get to see their full beauty when they’re resting.

Praying Mantis

It sound crazy to call a praying mantis beautiful, but some species come in an array of wild, colorful wings that look amazing when they flutter them. These insects are strangely beautiful.

Butterfly

You can argue that butterflies are the most spectacular insects on the planet. From something that looked more like a worm, to a hard shell that hung from a twig, they emerge with wings that have vivid and outstanding colors and patterns. There’s something calmingly beautiful abut butterflies which makes them even more welcomed in gardens.

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