Grasshoppers Information

Grasshoppers and locusts live on every continent except for Antarctica, are voracious herbivores and can grow to a length of over 6 inches. Seen as a food source for a variety of predators, a plague on humanity's attempts at agriculture and as a delicacy in some parts of the world, grasshoppers are insects that people from all corners of Earth are familiar with.

  1. The Grasshopper Family

    • Grasshoppers and locusts are of the family Acrididae, and are not classified in the same group as crickets, katydids and similar insects. Approximately 10,000 species of grasshoppers populate the world's dry and temperate environments. Unlike crickets, true grasshoppers are exclusively vegetarian. Members of the species grow to an average of 1 to 3 inches, but Australian giant grasshoppers have been recorded to be more than 6 inches long.

    Locusts and Agriculture

    • A hungry locust

      When certain environmental conditions are met, such as overpopulation and warmer climates, some species of locust change color, breeding frequency, temperament and the desire to congregate into a massive swarm. This change can bring together thousands to billions of locusts that devour all plant matter and human crops they can land on. This problem has been a burden to developing nations, some of which have taken to cooking and eating locusts. With the ability to migrate many miles for food, and to lay between 15 and 100 eggs at a time, a locust swarm can be devastating for farming.

    Grasshopper Anatomy

    • All grasshoppers have six legs, large wings, short antennae and mandibles to shred and ingest plant material. Male grasshoppers "sing" to potential females by rubbing their rough legs against their abdomen, making a chirping sound. Many grasshoppers are green to avoid predators by blending in with natural greenery. Although most grasshoppers have fully developed wings capable of flight, they generally move by using their hind legs to propel themselves in large jumps.

    Life Cycle of a Grasshopper

    • A grasshopper resting on a flower

      Born in an egg case buried under the surface by its mother, a newborn grasshopper will dig to the surface. A young grasshopper is called a nymph, and it looks like a much smaller version of its parents. The nymph will continue to eat and grow, and after several weeks will shed its skin to compensate for its body growth. After three to five molted skins, the grasshopper's wings will have been fully developed and it will be fully mature for mating. When a male attracts a female with its song, the female digs a hole to deposit her eggs to begin the cycle of life once again. The average lifespan of a grasshopper is 50 days.

    Interesting Facts

    • When a grasshopper molts, its skin is a perfect imprint of the bug's body. Mandibles are set so that grasshoppers chew in a side-to-side motion. A wide selection of predatory animals, including cats, birds, rodents, spiders and other insects, eat grasshoppers. Some grasshoppers spit a brown noxious liquid at predators in defense. Grasshoppers will eat nearly all plant matter; it does not matter if it's a farmer's crops or weeds and poisonous plants.