Calliptamus italicus, the Italian locust, is a species of 'short-horned grasshopper' belonging to the family Acrididae, subfamily Calliptaminae.

This species is native of the steppes of Central Asia, but it is also present in most of Europe, in the eastern Palearctic realm, in North Africa, and in the Near East.

It thrives in warm dry habitats with sparse vegetation cover such as grasslands and rocky steppes, old quarries, gravel pits, rock-strewn areas beside rivers, sand dunes and fallow land.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is among the species preferred by juveniles, but there have been reported sporadic cases of infestation on grains and grapevine.

It occurs in high densities in uncultivated land that is invaded by Artemisia, and on overgrazed pastures with weeds and bare ground.