Review author: “ZooVita”
Probably everyone has heard a grasshopper chirp at least once. When catching a grasshopper, most people are accustomed to thinking of a small green insect. However, this amazing representative of the Orthoptera order is distributed almost everywhere, and each subspecies has a lot of phenotypic features.
More details and characteristics of each variety can be noted in the photos of grasshoppers presented in entomological manuals.
General characteristics of the grasshopper insect
The grasshopper insect has a characteristic structure. By what signs and how to distinguish a grasshopper from other representatives of the order:
- An elongated body, the length of which in different species can reach from 1.0 to 15 cm. The body is divided into three sections: head, chest, abdomen. However, in practice it is quite difficult to distinguish one department from another.
- There are two pairs of wings on the body, the front and rear pair. The structure of the wings and the underlying muscular system allows the grasshopper to fly short distances.
- A distinctive feature of any grasshopper is its legs. There are three pairs of legs: the first two pairs are for movement. The third pair of legs is distinguished by a developed muscular system and greater length. The main purpose of this pair is to jump over fairly long distances and in height.
- On the knees of the front two pairs of legs there is a hearing organ in the form of a membrane.
- The grasshopper's eyes are large and have a faceted base.
- The color of the outer cover depends on environmental conditions and can be presented in various variations.
- Among adult individuals, sexual dimorphism is clearly visible - females are larger in size than males.
The chirping sounds of grasshoppers are of particular interest to entomologists. Insects make sounds using two membranes.
One of them is located on the left elytra, the second on the right, and they perform the functions of a bow and a resonator, respectively. The melodies produced are strikingly different from each other in tonality.
2.5. Limiting factors and protection
The steppe racket is a steppe species that is declining in numbers. It is a grasshopper of the racket family. The largest grasshopper in Russia and Ukraine, listed in the IUCN Red Book, European Red List,
Currently, the range and total number are steadily declining due to the intensive destruction of natural habitats. The process of replacement of virgin feather grass steppes by agrocenoses led to a sharp reduction in the populations of the steppe grass in most of its original range, but was not a uniquely fatal factor, since ravines and other relief depressions, usually with dense grassy and tree-shrub vegetation, bypassed by plowing, played the role of natural refuges. These habitats turned out to be quite favorable for the species, corresponding to the peculiarities of its biology and behavior, especially since fragmentation of the population and spatial separation of individuals are of little importance for an insect with a purely parthenogenetic method of reproduction. Even single surviving individuals on unplowed islands of grass and shrubs restore the population size.
The main danger to the existence of the steppe racket currently comes from the use of insecticides. The steppe rack is protected. The Kazantip Nature Reserve protects the entire complex of flora and fauna inherent in the dry steppes of southern Russia, including the racket population. Necessary security measures. Identify places where the species is preserved and conditions conducive to an increase in its numbers.
It is necessary to create small specially protected natural areas under the indispensable condition of complete refusal of insecticidal treatments on adjacent arable lands. In fields throughout the entire range of the species, surviving unplowed areas should be preserved, protecting them from haymaking and, in particular, from fires or cutting down of bushes and trees.
This is the excursion we took into the world of insects in Crimea.
Habitat of grasshoppers
Thanks to a number of anatomical features, the grasshopper can live in almost any region, adapting to unfavorable environmental conditions.
Natural habitats include deserts, steppes, forests and highlands. Grasshoppers do not live only in regions with the harshest climates and sudden temperature changes.
Notes
- Red Book of the USSR: Rare and endangered species of animals and plants. Volume 1 / Main ed. board: A. M. Borodin, A. G. Bannikov, V. E. Sokolov and others - 2nd ed. - M.: Forest Industry, 1984. - P. 230. - 392 p.
- Key to insects of the European part of the USSR. Volume 1. Inferior, ancient-winged, with incomplete transformation / under general. ed. G. Ya. Bey-Bienko. — (In the series: Guides to the fauna of Russia, published by the Zoological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Issue 84). - M.-L.: Nauka, 1964. - P. 211. - 936 p.
- Life of animals. Volume 3. Arthropods: trilobites, chelicerates, trachea-breathers. Onychophora / ed. M. S. Gilyarova, F. N. Pravdina, ch. ed. V. E. Sokolov. — 2nd ed. - M.: Education, 1984. - P. 179. - 463 p.
- ↑ A. V. Yakimov, M. I. Shapovalov.
A new find of the steppe plump
Bradyporus multituberculatus
(Fischer-Waldheim, 1833) (Orthoptera: Bradyporidae) in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. [https://molbiol.ru/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=147234 Caucasian Entomological Bulletin, 2012, 8 (1), p. 7-8] - ↑ Striganova B. R., Zakharov A. A.
Five-language dictionary of animal names: Insects (Latin-Russian-English-German-French) / Ed. Doctor of Biology sciences, prof. B. R. Striganova. - M.: RUSSO, 2000. - P. 16. - 1060 copies. — ISBN 5-88721-162-8. - ↑ Boldyrev V.F. 1927. On the biology and geographical distribution of grasshoppers of the genus Bradyporus Charp within the North Caucasus region // News of the Stavropol Entomological Society. 4(1): 1-10.
- ↑ Fedorov S. M. 1962. On the biology of grasshoppers Bradyporus multituberculatus F. and Onconotus laxmanni Pall. (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae) in the steppes of Ciscaucasia // Entomological Review. 41(2): 751–762.
- Gornostaev G. N. 2001. Steppe fat lump - Bradyporus multituberculatus F. // Red Book of the Russian Federation (Animals). Section IV. Arthropods. Moscow: AST, Astrel: 56-57
- Bolov A.P. 2000. Steppe fat lump - Bradyporus multituberculatus F. // Red Book of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. Rare, endangered species of animals and plants. Nalchik: KBSU: 177.
- Chervona book of Ukraine. Creature's world / I.A. Akimov. - K.: "Globalconsulting", 2009. p.82, - 624 p. — ISBN 978-966-97059-0-7
Grasshopper diet
Like most representatives of Orthoptera, this insect is an active predator. What does a grasshopper eat:
- Insect larvae.
- Aphid.
- Small locusts.
- Ticks.
The grasshopper quickly grabs its prey, using the combined work of its front legs and hind legs. It can also feed on plant foods, consuming the leaves of young plants. In the event of an unfavorable situation, for example, a lack of food, the insect can eat its weaker relatives.
Spiny devil, 70 mm
The appearance of this grasshopper is striking, but it is thanks to its unusual needles that it can protect itself.
It received such a terrible name precisely because of its unusual and intimidating appearance. It is completely covered with needles. If predators or birds try to get close to it, it begins to wave its front legs and threaten with sharp spines. You can meet him along the Amazon and listen to the serenades he sings throughout the night.
Spiny devils feed on plant foods, but are not averse to eating other insects. It reaches 70 mm in length and is enough to repel its opponents. Also, to scare off his opponents, he came up with a cunning plan. When he sees that a predator is approaching him, he sharply raises his hind legs, which are brightly colored, and while the predator comes to his senses, he quickly crawls away.
Lifestyle of a grasshopper
All grasshoppers lead a solitary lifestyle. They settle primarily on the surface of the ground, moving through trees and bushes. It is not typical for these insects to live in burrows or underground. The active period occurs in the summer.
When cold weather sets in, the female lays eggs in the soil, and in the spring a new life cycle begins. Adults die in winter. This fact determines the answer to the question of how long a grasshopper lives.
Life cycle
The males' nuptial chirping and mating occur in June. The males' singing continues until deep darkness. Males and females mate multiple times. Oviposition occurs in July-August. Females lay eggs in the turf in small groups of 6-8 pieces. In total, one female can lay 48-72 eggs. In nature, embryonic diapause can last more than 3 years. The eggs overwinter. The larvae emerge from the eggs in late April-early May. Larvae of the second and third instars are found in mid-May, the fourth instar - at the end of May. The larvae of the last fifth instar and the first adults are found in early June.
Types of grasshoppers
Today, about 20 varieties of grasshoppers are known, the most famous of them:
- Singing grasshopper.
- Variety of Shelkovnikova.
- Gray grasshopper.
- Ashy shrub.
- Steppe rack.
Each of these representatives has its own habitat, as well as a number of anatomical features.
song grasshopper
The chirping of these insects can be heard several hundred meters away, the bow and resonator on the two elytra are so highly developed. Despite the sufficient length of both pairs of wings, grasshoppers of this group practically do not fly.
Females have a large ovipositor, which makes it possible to distinguish the adult individual by gender. The color of the outer cover is green.
Grasshopper Shelkovnikova
Based on the main phenotypic characteristics, it is similar to its singing relative. However, the end part of the front legs is expanded in the shape of a heart. In addition, the body size exceeds the size of representatives of the previous subspecies.
Gray grasshopper
A distinctive feature of these insects is their rather specific coloring: brown, green spots on a gray background. Some individuals may have olive or reddish spots. The maximum body length is 30 mm, with the exception of females (they can grow up to 40 mm).
Spiny Devil
Another representative of the Orthoptera order, which has a rather specific appearance. The entire body of the grasshopper is covered with sharp spines. Such a device probably appeared in the process of species development, and became an excellent organ of defense against natural enemies.
The outer cover is presented in emerald color, which serves as reliable camouflage in the wild.
Ball-headed grasshoppers
This family includes a whole group of grasshoppers with an original head shape. The body has a structure typical of grasshoppers; the color can be presented in several variations.
Peacock grasshopper
This representative lives mainly in the forests of South America, and has very bright colors. There are large wings on the body that, in case of danger, spread out, making their owners look like a butterfly.
And the specific pattern on the wings imitates the eyes of birds of prey, which is a protective device.
The names of many varieties reflect the main external characteristics: ashen, green, red color (for example, red grasshopper), a certain habitat (steppe species). Some representatives, for example, the leaf grasshopper, can camouflage themselves into the surrounding background in case of danger.
Steppe rack.
A fairly large variety of grasshoppers. The body size reaches 80 mm. This insect has small, underdeveloped wings, in some cases there are no wings at all. The rack is painted in shades of green and lemon. This allows it to camouflage perfectly in the vegetation of steppes and ravines. Unfortunately, the population of this species is constantly declining, and one day it will disappear from the face of the earth.
Photos of all types of grasshopper
Giant weta
Endemic species, found only in New Zealand. The weta weighs about 70 grams, that is, 2 times more than a sparrow. The length of a well-fed grasshopper reaches 15 centimeters. The rest of the appearance is unremarkable. The insect is colored in beige-brown tones.
The legs of the giant weta are of medium length, the eyes are of medium size, and the mustache is of mediocre length in comparison with the size of the body.
The gigantism of New Zealand grasshoppers is due to the absence of small mammals on the islands. For lack of enemies, the Wets almost reached their size. However, in the 20th century, mammals were introduced to the fields of Zealand. Because of this, the number of giant grasshoppers is declining.
Grasshopper giant weta
Flightless grasshoppers
Some grasshoppers lack wings. As a rule, these are inhabitants of fields and rocky embankments. Grasshoppers that climb trees retain their wings. However, there are species with spines on their paws. The needles, like spurs, dig into the stems, fixing insects.
Relationships with a person
There are known cases of mass reproduction of insects in urban sewers. They moved through the sewer system into the apartments of the townspeople, causing fear among the residents. In the hunched body with huge limbs, few recognized the grasshopper. Females scared people more than males. The cause was a saber-shaped ovipositor, mistaken for a poisonous sting. Despite its unusual appearance, the greenhouse grasshopper is absolutely safe for humans. If it has settled in the house, then you can drive the insect away by reducing the humidity level. It is enough to block his access to water and eliminate all pipe leaks.
Tachycinesasynamorys causes more problems in greenhouses and greenhouses than in the home. It feeds on plants and becomes a dangerous pest when multiplying in large numbers. Grasshoppers are voracious; adults and larvae eat flowers, vegetables and ornamental plants together. The insect is included in the list of pests of orchids, chrysanthemums, and ferns growing in closed ground.
