80 Interesting Facts About Grasshoppers

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Grasshoppers are insects of the subclass Silifera belonging to the class Orthoptera. They are sometimes called short-horned grasshoppers to distinguish them from bush beetles or katydids. Species that change color and behavior depending on population density are called locusts.

Interesting Facts About Grasshoppers

There are over 11,000 known species of grasshoppers.
In Japan, grasshoppers are seen as a sign of good luck.
They are found on every continent except for Antarctica.
They are most active during the day, but also feed at night.
In many countries, grasshoppers are considered a delicate food.
Grasshoppers are sometimes considered pests and can damage crops.
Grasshoppers have the typical insect body plan of head, thorax and abdomen.
Grasshoppers are herbivorous, they eat plants and other types of vegetation.
Grasshoppers are insects of the suborder Caelifera within the order Orthoptera.
There are around 11,000 known species of grasshoppers in the Caelifera suborder.
Grasshoppers are very old organisms. They exist on the planet at least 200 million years.
A grasshopper’s jump, assisted with its wings, can reach a speed of up to eight miles per hour.
Grasshoppers produce songs by rubbing their legs with wings. Songs are used to attract females.
Front legs of grasshopper are much shorter than hind legs. They are used for walking and feeding.
Grasshoppers are ground-dwelling insects with the ability to jump long distances to evade threats.
A large grasshopper can jump between 10 and 20 times its body length without the aid of its wings.
A small cuticle in a grasshopper’s knee acts as a spring and lets it catapult its body into the air.

Amazing Facts About Grasshoppers

Grasshoppers are separated into two main groups, short-horned grasshoppers and long-horned grasshoppers.
Grasshoppers existed long before dinosaurs, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago.
It is recorded in the Bible that John the Baptist ate locusts and wild honey while living in the wilderness.
Grasshoppers can be identified by their two antennas, four small legs, two enlarged legs and elongated shape.
The Egyptian word for locust or grasshopper was written snḥm in the consonantal hieroglyphic writing system.
The only different between short-horned grasshoppers and long-horned grasshoppers is the size of their antennae.
They have, two pairs of wings, one narrow and tough, the other wide and flexible, and long hind legs for jumping.
The peak acceleration during take-off approaches 20 G; When flying fighter jet you can experience G forces up to 9 G.
In Native America, the Ohlone people burned grassland to herd grasshoppers into pits where they could be collected as food.
Grasshopper has an eardrum on the abdomen. Grasshopper can detect rhythm and intensity, but it cannot hear pitch of a sound.
Color of the body provides camouflage and it depends on the habitat. Grasshopper can be green, brown, grayish and ochre in color.
Grasshoppers have a pair of antennas on the head. They serve as sensory organ which detects various stimuli from the environment.
Grasshoppers peculiarly don’t have nests, territories or a general home base as they usually migrate to find new sources of food.
Swarm of grasshoppers can induce significant damage to the crops. Grasshoppers destroy crops worth of billions of dollars each year.

Awesome Facts About Grasshoppers

Grasshoppers are commonly eaten in African, Asian, Central and South American countries, the insect is a very good source of protein.
In the 1998 Pixar film A Bug’s Life, the heroes are the members of an ant colony, and the lead villain and his henchmen are grasshoppers.
Grasshoppers are typically ground-dwelling insects with powerful hind legs which enable them to escape from threats by leaping vigorously.
Locusts are a type of grasshopper. They typically live alone, but are famous for forming giant swarms that can swoop down and destroy massive areas of crops.
A swarm of grasshoppers, also known as locusts, can damage crops over a huge area. These swarms can cost millions and sometimes billions of dollars in damages.
Most species are solitary, and only come together to mate, but the migratory species sometimes gather in huge groups of millions or even billions of individuals.
Main predators of grasshoppers are monkeys, birds, lizards, snakes, rodents and large insects. Grasshoppers are consumed as delicacy in various parts of the world.
Size of grasshopper depends on the species. Smallest grasshoppers are only 0.5 inches long. Larger species can grow to 5 inches in length. Females are longer than males.
When grasshoppers appear in dreams, these have been interpreted as symbols of “Freedom, independence, spiritual enlightenment, inability to settle down or commit to decision”.
Grasshoppers are medium to large insects. Adult length is 1 to 7 centimeters (0.4 to 2.75 inches), depending on the species. Female grasshoppers are normally larger than males.
Most grasshoppers prefer dry open habitats with lots of grass and other low plants, though some species live in forests or jungles. Many of the grassland species invade farmer’s fields too.
Grasshoppers mate in late summer or fall. After mating the female will lay up to hundreds of egg pods in the ground. The eggs remain in the ground over winter, and they usually hatch in late May.

Unbelievable Facts About Grasshoppers

Grasshoppers are commonly brown and green or a mixture of the two. However, there are some species of grasshoppers that have a wide range of vivid colors, like the rainbow grasshopper (Dactylotum bicolor).
Diet of grasshoppers is based on various plants. They prefer different types of grass and flowering plants. Grasshoppers have big appetite. Daily intake of food overcomes grasshopper's body weight two times.
Grasshoppers are active during the day (diurnal animals). They need to increase their body temperature with the help of sun, before they become ready to start a day. Grasshoppers are taking rest during the night.
Grasshoppers mainly use sound and sight to communicate, though like animals, scent and touch are important during mating. In some species males vibrate their wings or rub their wings with their legs to make sounds that attract females.
The head bears a large pair of compound eyes which give all-round vision, three simple eyes which can detect light and dark, and a pair of thread-like antennae that are sensitive to touch and smell. Their mouth parts are modified for chewing.
Grasshoppers are not known for biting though they may occasionally bite a predator as a defense mechanism. Although grasshoppers have very strong jaws for tearing vegetation, they prefer jumping away to avoid capture rather than confronting predators.
An adult grasshopper is capable of leaping 10 times its length straight into the air and 20 times its length horizontally without using its wings. That is, if a grasshopper is 5 centimeters (2 inches) long, it can jump a distance of 1 meter (40 inches).
The largest recorded locust swarm was one formed by the now-extinct Rocky Mountain locust in 1875; the swarm was 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) long and 180 kilometers (110 miles) wide, and one estimate puts the number of locusts involved as 3.5 trillion.
Most species of grasshoppers have wings and can fly pretty well, using their large hind jumping legs as a booster to propel them into the air, where they spread their wings and take off. They can reach a speed of 13 kilometers (8 miles) per hour when flying.

Scientific Facts About Grasshoppers

Some species of grasshoppers have developed with excellent anti-predator defenses. The hooded leaf grasshopper (Phyllochoreia ramakrishnai) mimics the look and colors of certain leaves. Stick grasshoppers (Proscopiidae) mimic the look and color of wooden sticks.
Grasshopper has long hind legs that are designed for jumping. String-like structure (located in knee) acts like a catapult which sends grasshopper 10 inches high in the air. Grasshopper can travel a distance that is 200 times longer than the body in a single jump.
Grasshoppers have a wide range of predators; eggs are eaten by bee-flies, ground beetles and blister beetles; nymphs and adults are taken by other insects such as ants, robber flies, praying mantises and sphecid wasps, by spiders, by lizards and by many birds and small mammals.
Grasshoppers have wings that are used for flying. Grasshoppers occasionally gather in larger groups (grasshoppers are then called locusts), that migrate together toward the better sources of food. During the migration, grasshopper can remain in the air (without landing) three days.
The lifespan of a grasshopper depends on the climate where it resides. In climates where winter is cold, grasshoppers can only survive the winter as an egg. Adult grasshoppers do not survive low temperatures. In warmer climates, grasshoppers are capable of living for several years.
Grasshoppers are herbivores. Their favorite foods are plants in the grass family such as corn, wheat, barley and alfalfa. They aren’t picky, however, and can eat many other types of plants. It’s not uncommon to see grasshoppers chewing on the leaves of a tree, and more eating the grass beneath it.
Grasshoppers are colored to blend into their environment, usually a combination of brown, gray or green. In some species the males have bright colors on their wings that they use to attract females. A few species eat toxic plants, and keep the toxins in their bodies for protection. They are brightly colored to warn predators that they taste bad.
The nymphs that hatch from these pods go through multiple incomplete metamorphosis stages. This means that each stage looks a lot like the adult, but adds a few changes each time the young grasshopper sheds its skin. Grasshoppers usually shed 5 or 6 times. After the last time, they are adults and can reproduce. Most species also get wings when they are adults.

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