There is considerable sexual dimorphism in this species with the males measuring 45 to 55 millimetres (1+3⁄4 to 2+1⁄8 in) in length and the females 15 to 75 mm (5⁄8 to 3 in).

[4] The Javanese grasshopper is native to Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, the Solomon Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

[5] The species has also been recorded in Australia (Christmas Island only, it being 430 kilometres (267 mi) south of Java), Guam, India, Micronesia, and Palau.

[6] The life cycle of the Javanese grasshopper varies in different parts of its range, but in general, there is a single generation of insects each year.

In Java, an outbreak in 1915 was thought to be caused by a succession of dry years which encouraged synchronization of breeding in concentrated areas.