A message about the grasshopper and the decade. Grasshoppers

Who are grasshoppers? In this article, you will learn: what types of grasshoppers exist in nature and you can see them in the photo.

According to the scientific classification, grasshoppers are considered to be an extensive group of insects belonging to the Orthoptera order. In total, on our planet, researchers have counted more than 6800 species of these jumping creatures. The closest relatives of grasshoppers are crickets, as well as locusts. In size, grasshoppers grow, as a rule, small. Average length the body of this insect is from 2 to 4 centimeters. However, some species found in tropical zones, can grow up to 10 centimeters. These creatures are characterized by an elongated body, oval shape head.

The hind limbs of the insect are long, they are much longer than the front ones. This feature of the structure of the “legs” allows the grasshopper to be a wonderful jumper. But not only the legs of a grasshopper differ in length, the insect also has antennae that grow, sometimes, several times over size the whole body (meaning - in length).

Grasshoppers have thin wings, they are “covered” from above with more rigid elytra. Nature has given some species a wonderful camouflage color, and some grasshoppers even imitate environment. For example, grasshoppers have such wings that in appearance can never be distinguished from a leaf. In addition, there are separate species of these insects, which have a flat semi-oval outgrowth in the upper part of the body, which perfectly masks against the background of foliage, such grasshoppers are called hooded.

The color of these insects can be very different: green, brown, gray and even black. There are also bright shades in the color of these creatures, for example, pink color, although such individuals are very rare in nature.

Grasshoppers settled all over the planet, they do not live only on ice continent(Antarctica), and also do not climb deep into the vast deserts. For a comfortable stay, grasshoppers choose places in meadows, forest edges, in rain forests, steppes, and also in savannahs. Some species live in alpine meadows and even in mountainous areas. Their activity is manifested both during the day and at night, it all depends on the specific species.

Grasshoppers are one of the most vociferous insects on Earth, their chirring is especially audible at sunset. If there is a clearing or meadow near you, then go out to it when the sun starts to set, and you will hear the funny “trills” of these unusually sonorous insects.

Listen to the grasshopper's voice

Grasshoppers are very cautious insects, any rustle or vibration in the grass can drive them away. Their bouncy legs help grasshoppers to avoid danger. Thanks to their unique structure, the insect can jump 1-2 meters in length! Some species jump up and fly through the air for a short time using their wings, thus increasing the chances of escaping. Some species can take defensive postures, for example, this concerns the spike-headed grasshopper, which, in case of danger, makes a fighting stance.

Reproduction in grasshoppers is carried out by laying eggs by the female. Some species fix their egg laying in the foliage, other grasshoppers lay their future offspring directly into the plant tissue or the thickness of the soil.

Enemies of grasshoppers in nature are many animals, these include: toads, meerkats, small rodents, lizards, birds (storks,

Insects are among the most ancient inhabitants of our planet. Scientists suggest that this type of organism appeared 435 million years ago. Despite all the diversity of insect species, our knowledge about them, unfortunately, is very scarce, although their orthopterous appearance has always been in the public eye. This order includes locusts, bears, crickets and grasshoppers. Orthoptera - interesting facts about the structure of the body, habitats, diet.

Features of the body structure

Orthoptera are a separate detachment of the class of insects with straight front wings. All Orthoptera are divided into two types: long-nosed and short-nosed.

The body of orthopterous insects is oblong in shape, from 1.5 to 150 mm long, and consists of three sections: head, thorax, and abdomen. From above, the body is covered with a chitinous cover. On the head are the organs of touch - antennae, two pairs of compound eyes of a faceted structure and three simple eyes. Mouth organs of gnawing type with powerful jaws.

The wings are located on the chest and represent two pairs, the front wings are long and narrow and the back wings are wide and membranous, which fold under the front ones. Three pairs of legs are located below the chest, with the front legs used for movement, and with the help of the hind limbs, insects can jump far enough. An interesting fact is that many grasshoppers have hearing organs on their front legs.

The chirping of grasshoppers is formed due to the vibration of the elytra, and on its left side there is a “bow”, and on the right side there is a resonator membrane. Each species has its own unique "melody". " musical ability” endowed mainly with males, wingless insects and females do not have this opportunity. The exception is the female ephippiger.

Habitat and diet

Orthoptera - interesting facts about habitats and diet.

Orthopteran insects can be found in a fairly wide area from hot deserts to alpine green meadows. They are distributed on all continents except Antarctica. At the same time, grasshoppers and locusts prefer to live on plants, and bears are closer to the soil.

The majority of orthopteran insects feed on plant food. It is for this reason that the locust, the bear, the Siberian filly are pests of crops. Migrating, the locust destroys everything in its path and this disaster is of grandiose proportions. Another representative of this detachment, the bear, lives in the soil and feeds on root crops.

Most species of grasshoppers are predators that willingly eat both plant and animal food: beetles, butterflies, caterpillars.

Grasshoppers themselves serve as food for various rodents, birds and amphibians, so they use mimicry methods to survive, disguising themselves as environmental objects.

Basically, the breeding season for grasshoppers occurs in last month spring, but species living in the tropics breed all year round. The larva outwardly completely repeats the structure of the body of an adult grasshopper and in the process of development passes up to 6 molts. The larva can get to the surface only with great effort, therefore only one tenth of the larvae reach their goal and survive.

These insects are considered pests, they eat agricultural plants. In Africa and China, they are included in the diet.

The grasshopper is an arthropod of the order Orthoptera. The most distinctive feature of this insect is its very strong and bouncy legs, with which it moves over long distances. By the way, they use their front legs for walking, and their hind legs for jumping. There are about 7,000 species of grasshoppers. These are very hardy insects that live almost throughout our land.

Family: Grasshopper

Suborder: Long-whiskered Orthoptera

Superorder: New-winged insects

Class: Insects

Order: Orthoptera

Type: Arthropod

Kingdom: Animals

Grasshopper Anatomy

The grasshopper has an elongated body, ranging in size from 1.5 to 15 cm in length, depending on the type of insect. His body is conditionally divided into three sections: head, chest and abdomen. The grasshopper has two pairs of wings - front and rear, with the help of which it rises into the air and flies over short distances. The head of the grasshopper is large with very long antennae, which sometimes exceed the length of its body and are the organ of touch of the insect. The eyes are large. The color of the grasshopper also depends on its habitat, it can be green, brown and even striped. Females are larger than males.

The grasshopper has 3 pairs of legs. At the same time, he uses his front legs for walking, and with the help of his hind legs, he can jump quite high and far. This insect chirps with the help of its elytra. One elytron plays the role of a bow, and the other - a resonator. By vibrating their elytra, grasshoppers make unique sounds. Moreover, each species has its own unique sounds. Mostly males chirp. But in some species, females also chirp. Also an interesting fact is that the ears of grasshoppers are located on their front legs.

Where does the grasshopper live?

The grasshopper is a very unpretentious insect that can live in any corner of our the globe. These are arid deserts, and sultry jungles, and alpine meadows. They also live on the edge of the forest, in the fields, in the steppes throughout the continent from Eurasia to Australia, with the exception of icy Antarctica.

What does a grasshopper eat?

Oddly enough, but the grasshopper is a predator. The grasshopper's diet includes small insects or their larvae. It can also feed on the leaves of young plants. But if it happens that the grasshoppers find themselves in a confined space without food, then stronger individuals can have a bite to eat with weaker relatives.

Lifestyle of grasshoppers

Most often, grasshoppers lead a solitary lifestyle. They live on the surface. They do not hide in holes, do not go underground, but simply move through the plants. AT hot weather they hide under the leaves of plants. They are born hunters. They quickly grab prey with their front paws and eat it. You can often hear them chirping. Thus, males can attract females or warn that this territory is already occupied. Grasshoppers live only in the warm season. Before a cold snap, the female lays eggs in the soil. Eggs survive the winter, but grasshoppers do not. The lifespan of grasshoppers is 4 to 8 months.

Grasshopper breeding

A more intense breeding season for grasshoppers occurs in May-September. However, it depends on what climate zone they are resident and breeding times may vary. At this time of the year, insects are especially distinguished by their musicality. By the breeding season, males have a capsule with seminal fluid, he attaches this capsule to the female's abdomen and the seminal fluid enters her oviduct. Then, for several days, the female carries the testicles and lays them in inconspicuous places. The number of eggs can reach from 100 to 1,000 pieces.

Then the larvae hatch, which can molt 4 to 6 times. During molting, grasshoppers develop wings. The larva looks the same as the adult. Before the larva reaches adulthood, it forms two pairs of wings and reproductive organs.

There are types of grasshoppers that do without males. Females lay unfertilized eggs and only females hatch from them. But most species still breed with the help of males, and individuals of different sexes are born.

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Grasshoppers: external structure, lifestyle and behavior

The grasshopper is an insect that belongs to the suborder Caelifera. In addition to crickets and locusts, it also includes horned grasshoppers. Among the most interesting facts about grasshoppers, several important findings about these insects come to the fore. This article talks about their diet, behavior, reproduction and distribution.

There are about 8,000 species of grasshoppers in the world. Among them, there are three main species such as long-horned, short-horned, and pygmy. Locust is another type of grasshopper.

Some species are distinguished by their color, behavior and large numbers, they are known as locusts. These insects have antennae that are relatively short compared to their body. Via powerful jaws Grasshoppers bite off their food. Powerful and long hind thighs are great for jumping. They are greyish-brown in color, often with a reddish-brown tint.

Data on grasshoppers show that these insects are found almost everywhere in the world, except in extremely cold regions.

Appearance of insects

These insects do not have ears, but they can certainly hear. An organ called the eardrum contributes to their hearing. One of unique facts about grasshoppers is that the tympanic membrane is located in the abdominal cavity and often looks like a huge round disc.

Grasshoppers are easily confused with crickets belonging to the same family, but they have many distinctive features. For example, there is a clear difference in the number of antennal segments, the structure of the ovipositor and the way sounds are produced, as well as in the position of the cymbals. Unlike crickets, grasshoppers have 20 to 24 antennae segments.

The nervous system of a grasshopper consists of nerve cells freely located in the body. They are called ganglia. These cells tend to exist in almost all species. All ganglia are connected to the center - the brain.

Grasshoppers have two huge eyes on the top of the head. These are compound eyes. They consist of thousands of little eyes that receive information and send it to the brain.

Although they have wings, they are not usually used for actual flight. Males are relatively shorter than females with large ovipositors. Two pairs of flaps are attached to the female's abdomen and are actually used for burrowing while laying eggs.

These animals can also change their color depending on the environment. This is especially necessary to get rid of potential predators such as frogs. Most of these species hide well in green fields and forests.

Magnificent Jumpers

Grasshoppers are also known to jump up to 20 times their length.

The weight of these species is 2-3 grams, but they can push off the ground with their feet with a force of about 30 grams. This is due to the muscles in the legs. All movements (contraction and relaxation) must be done quickly, otherwise he will not be able to fly high.

What do grasshoppers sing about

Do you know they sing late at night? If you do not sleep all night, and suddenly you hear a chirping in complete darkness, this is the grasshoppers singing. They do not sing for us, and their sole purpose is to attract females for mating.

What do grasshoppers eat

Grasshoppers are herbivorous species and they mainly feed on various plants within one day - grass and grain crops. They have a large number of squirrel. Eating everything: leaves, stems, roots. These insects usually limit their diet to a few plants. Some species of these insects can be eaten tapeworms so you have to be careful when dealing with them.