South Africa has a rich fauna of large, brightly coloured grasshoppers belonging to the family Pyrgomorphidae. They are known locally as foam or lubber grasshoppers, and many produce a foul, foamy defensive secretion when disturbed. One common and widespread species is the Elegant Grasshopper (Zonocerus elegans). Their preferred food plants are milkweeds, including the native Narrow-leaf cotton bush (Gomphocarpus fruticosus) which is in the family Asclepiadaceae. The members of this family typically have toxic, thick white sap, which gives rise to the common name milkweeds. Elegant Grasshoppers accumulate heart poisons (cardiac glycosides) from the milkweeds they eat, making them toxic to predators. Their bright colouration serves as a warning to potential predators – eat me at your peril! These black, yellow and white Elegant Grasshopper hoppers are swarming on a Narrow-leaf cotton bush after having eaten much of the plant.