Abracris is a genus of slender, short-horned grasshoppers (Acrididae) native to Neotropical regions from Mexico to Argentina. Their laterally compressed bodies allow them to slide effortlessly between grass blades or align seamlessly against plant stems to evade predators. Bright yellow stripes running along their bodies act as warning signals, which they flash by flicking their hind legs when threatened. To further deter attackers, these grasshoppers can spit up an unpleasant, toxic fluid derived from their leaf-heavy diet. Capable of minor color shifts to match their surroundings, both nymphs and adults are voracious plant feeders. I crossed paths with this adorable, mid-sized nymph in the protected forest of “La Perla”—a stunning remnant of the vast tropical rainforest that once blanketed the entire coast of Ecuador.