[6] The New Zealand entomologist Tara Murray told North & South magazine in 2019: “They can actually jump, they just don’t land very well.

[8] The wings on S. robustus are very small, between 1 and 2 millimetres (0.039 and 0.079 in), making this species flightless like most of New Zealand grasshoppers.

Because of the timing of emergence, it is thought eggs require a winter period in order to develop fully.

Adult males will copulate with multiple females and vice versa, suggesting this species has a promiscuous mating system.

Elymus rectisetus) and Poa pratensis, the herb Achillea millifolium, and unidentified mosses and lichens.

[16] Faeces analysed during spring suggested that moss and lichen are important in its diet; this might reflect their ability to absorb moisture at night.

Food succulence is important in grasshopper diets, and mosses and lichens may provide a means of withstanding the aridity and drought of the Mackenzie Basin.

[16] Two species of grasshopper are listed for protection under the Wildlife Act 1953 of New Zealand: B. robustus and Sigaus childi.

[20][11] In December 2017, 20 B. robustus were fitted with radio transmitters which operated for 3–12 days to determine their home range for future translocations.

[21] In July 2018 a 440 ha area in the Mackenzie Basin known as the "Tekapo Triangle" was transferred to the control of the Department of Conservation and set aside as a reserve for S.