Building [edit | edit code ]
The head has a separate apex of the crown, often laterally compressed, sometimes cone-shaped. The tarsus are four-segmented. Pronotum with a flat or convex top and flat lateral lobes drooping downwards. The male elytra often has a chirping organ. The venation with a sharply separated RS, in the area of the chirping organ, is strongly modified. Often the elytra and wings lose their flight functions, but retain, often enhanced, the chirping organ. The female's ovipositor is, with very rare exceptions, long and laterally compressed.
Reproduction [edit | edit code ]
Fertilization [edit | edit code ]
When mating, the male attaches a spermatophore to the end of the female's abdomen. The spermatophore consists of a vial (main part) and a spermatophylax (additional part). The bottle is coated, has a narrow neck and two reinforcing blades. The internal cavity of the bottle, which contains sperm, is divided into two parts by a septum. Spermatophylax is a sticky mass.
The male inserts the neck of the bottle into the female's genital opening, while the bottle itself and the spermatophylax remain outside. After mating, the female usually eats the spermatophylax slowly, with the sperm gradually flowing from the vial into the oviduct, after which the female eats the vial. A spermatophore suspended from the female's abdomen with spermatophylax weighing it down hinders the female's movement and interferes with the laying of eggs and repeated mating. In this case, eating should be slow, otherwise the sperm will not have time to flow from the vial into the oviduct.
Laying eggs [edit | edit code ]
Most carnivorous and omnivorous species lay eggs in the ground, plunging the ovipositor into it. Eggs are laid singly or in small groups of 5-10 pieces, held together by congealed secretions of the accessory sex glands. In herbivorous species, eggs are most often laid on the surface or inside the above-ground part of the plant.
- The female four-spotted laminated wing lays eggs in the leaf parenchyma. She sits astride the edge of a leaf, squeezing it from the sides with her front and middle legs, then slightly nibbles its edge and strongly bends her abdomen. Holding the base of the ovipositor with her jaws, the female inserts its valves into the parenchyma at the site of the incision. The ovipositor submerges almost completely and the egg is laid at the very bottom of the pocket formed in the tissue.
- The common platetail lays its eggs in the cracks of old wood of posts and fences, and another species of this genus lays its eggs in cracks in the bark of trees and shrubs.
- The spiny laminated wing lays an egg behind the sheath of a cereal leaf.
- The short-winged swordsman uses reed or rush stems with a well-developed core to lay eggs.
Insects with complete transformation, their role in human life
Let us consider the development of insects with complete transformation using the example of the cockchafer. With this development, a larva emerges from the eggs, which is sharply different from the adult. In this form of metamorphosis, the larva molts several times as it grows. But to transform into an adult form (imago), it must go through the pupal stage.
In some insects, the pupae are mobile, while in others they are immobile. At this stage, the larval organs undergo complete restructuring. Most of the organs are destroyed. Only the nervous system, rudiments of the gonads and special anlages are preserved - imaginal discs, due to which at the same time the organs of an adult insect are formed, but they remain in a compressed, folded state.
At the time when the adult form leaves the integument of the pupa, blood enters the compressed imaginal organs and they straighten out, taking on the shape characteristic of an adult insect, after which chitin begins to be deposited and the body integument hardens.
Insects with complete transformation include representatives of the order Lepidoptera (butterflies), which have two pairs of wings. They got their name because their wings are covered with modified hairs - scales, which are often brightly colored and form characteristic “patterns” on the surface of the wings.
Butterflies are representatives of insects with full development
On the head of butterflies there are well-developed compound eyes and a pair of antennae with olfactory organs.
The segments of the thoracic region are fixedly connected to each other. The thoracic legs are not very strong, and sometimes thin and weak, but extremely tenacious. With the help of their legs, butterflies are held on flowers, plant stems, tree bark, etc.
The oral organs of adult butterflies are of the sucking type. They are transformed into a proboscis, adapted for sucking flower nectar. The larvae, called caterpillars in butterflies, have gnawing type mouthparts. Caterpillars feed on leaves, fruits and other parts of plants.
Butterfly caterpillars have spinning silk glands that secrete substances that harden in air into strong threads. Different types of caterpillars use these threads in different ways:
- They descend from tree branches;
- entangle shoots and leaves;
- they build special cases in which larvae (moths) pupate;
- they curl cocoons in which they pupate (true silkworms, etc.).
Butterflies attach eggs to plant branches, tree bark, i.e. where their caterpillars feed. The olfactory organs help butterflies find such plants. With the help of compound eyes, butterflies not only distinguish color, but also determine the shape of objects.
Many butterflies (cabbage white moth, meadow moth, fall armyworm, oak moth, etc.) cause serious damage to agriculture and forestry.
Cabbage white (cabbage)
Cabbage whites
Caterpillars of the cabbage whites, or cabbage grass, which are widespread, cause great harm to cabbage. It has been established that, although cabbage white caterpillars are clearly visible on cabbage leaves due to their variegated coloring and ability to stay in groups, they are not destroyed because they are inedible, which is combined with a warning coloration. The green coloration of caterpillars in many other butterfly species is protective.
The cabbage white caterpillar has a greenish color. She has yellow stripes and black dots on the sides of her body and on her back. After the caterpillar grows, it crawls onto a tree, wall, fence, etc., where it turns into a pupa. After emerging from the pupa, the butterfly sits in one place for several hours until its wings straighten and become stronger.
In the fight against cabbage whites, it is necessary to weed out weeds, collect and destroy cabbage caterpillars and eggs.
If the larval forms of butterflies cause significant harm, then the adult forms bring great benefits, pollinating many types of plants. In addition, they serve as food for birds.
Chirping and hearing [edit | edit code]
The sound apparatus is located on the elytra. On the right elytra there is a “mirror” in the form of a round thin transparent membrane surrounded by a thick stridulatory vein forming a frame. On the left elytra the mirror is opaque, matte and rather dense. The stridulatory vein surrounding it is thick and serrated. This vein acts as a bow, and the “mirror” serves as a resonator for chirping.
When chirping, the grasshopper lifts and spreads the elytra, and then sets them in a vibrating movement from side to side, as a result of which the teeth of the “bow” rub against the frame of the “mirror” of the right elytra.
Each type of grasshopper has a specific set of sounds produced. In most cases, only males have a sound apparatus, but there are species in which females also chirp. And in grasshoppers from the subfamily Meconematinae
The sound apparatus is absent in both sexes, so males make only a weak knock with their hind legs.
The hearing aid is located on the shins of the front legs and has oval membranes located on both sides of the shin and performing the function of eardrums. More often the membranes are open; in some species they are equipped with lids that cover the membranes almost completely. The inside of the hearing aid has a complex structure consisting of nerve endings, sensory cells, muscles and two branches of the trachea, each of which approaches its own eardrum. Due to the air pressure in the trachea, the membranes are always tense.
Habitat and camouflage [edit | edit code]
Grasshopper biotopes are fantastically diverse - from tropical jungles and deserts to tundras and high alpine meadows. Unlike other long-whiskered orthoptera, grasshoppers live openly on plants and do not use burrows in the soil or wood.
Very often, grasshoppers have an appearance and color similar to the appearance and color of the leaves or other parts of the plants on which they live. Elimaea poaefolia living in the Malay Archipelago
has a highly elongated body, similar to the stem of the plant on which it sits.
Camouflage is achieved due to the strong expansion of the elytra, as well as their specific venation. Depending on the color, they imitate either healthy or dying and dead leaves.
The leaf-like wings of Cycloptera elegans have brown spots that resemble leaf damage caused by parasitic fungi. In Tanusia
spotting of the elytra imitates the beginning of leaf decomposition, and uneven edges give the impression that the leaf is eaten away or broken off.
Acridoxena hewaniana
also appear to be severely damaged .
Some tree-dwelling Indo-Malayan grasshoppers mimic lichens. For example, Javan Satrophylia ( Satrophyllia femorata
), sitting motionless with antennae and front legs extended forward on a tree branch, completely merges with the general background of the lichens covering this branch.
Characteristics of the Orthoptera order
Many Orthoptera are dangerous pests of agricultural crops, for example, Moroccan, desert and migratory locusts.
Swarms of locusts develop enormous speed and are capable of covering a distance of up to 100 km in a day. Single species, such as the Siberian grasshopper and the Italian locust, also cause enormous damage to cultivated plants.
The order Orthoptera belongs to insects and has about 25 thousand species. The most famous representatives are locusts, grasshoppers, grasshoppers, mole crickets, and crickets .
Orthoptera are insects with incomplete metamorphosis, when a larva emerges from the egg, similar to adults, but with some organs underdeveloped. As the larva grows, it molts and becomes more and more similar to the imago (adult insect), while there is no pupal stage when metamorphosis occurs.
The body is usually elongated, there are large compound eyes on the head, and a number of species have additional simple eyes.
The first segment of the chest is large. The front legs usually have a hearing organ.
The front pairs of wings of Orthoptera are more rigid and narrow (elytra), the rear pairs are membranous and wide. The elytra cover the wings.
The mouthparts are gnawing type. Most Orthoptera feed on plants, but there are many predators (some grasshoppers) and omnivores (crickets, mole crickets).
In many species, the hind limbs are jumping (hence the second name for Orthoptera - jumping ).
Due to the enlarged thighs and lower legs, they are longer and more massive than the two front pairs. When making a jump, insects help themselves with their wings and cover a distance of up to 10 meters. A number of species of locusts and mole crickets can fly long distances. The hind limbs of mole crickets are normal (walking type, but elongated), but the front ones are modified into digging type limbs.
Many Orthoptera make sounds (chirping). The chatter comes from the friction of body parts against each other. Grasshoppers, crickets and mole crickets chirp their wings, locusts and fillies rub the thigh of their hind leg against the edge of the wing.
Sounds are used to attract partners.
In relation to humans, Orthoptera are more harmful than useful. They often eat agricultural plants. So hordes of locusts can destroy entire fields, mole crickets eat the roots of plants.
Although at the same time the latter contribute to soil aeration (as they dig tunnels in it).
In appearance, locusts differ from grasshoppers in having shorter antennae and a larger body size. Migratory locusts cause great harm to agriculture. It breeds in the south in floodplains. Female locusts lay eggs (eggs) glued together in moist soil.
The hatched larvae have underdeveloped wings, so during migration they form walking swarms, while adult locusts fly. One of the measures to combat locusts is the destruction of their breeding centers.
Fillies differ from locusts in their smaller size.
Their hind wings are usually brightly colored. Fillies with strong reproduction can also cause harm to agriculture.
Grasshoppers have antennae that are longer than their body. Many eat insects that are harmful to humans.
Mole crickets live in the soil, digging holes there.
The front legs are modified into powerful, shortened and wide digging limbs. The second pair of legs is also short, and the third is longer.
In crickets, the body is shortened and thickened, the second pair of wings is longer than the first. There are species with reduced wings. At the end of the abdomen there are thread-like appendages. Males chirp using their elytra.
Crickets prefer wetter habitats than grasshoppers and locusts. They live near the soil surface under stones and can dig burrows.
They have two pairs of wings. The first pair of wings are leathery, with straight veins, forming elytra. The second pair is membranous, folds like a fan, and is covered with elytra when at rest. The mouthparts are gnawing type. In most species, the third pair of limbs is jumping. At the end of the body there are usually unsegmented cerci. Females have an ovipositor, sometimes long. Development with incomplete transformation.
This order is divided into two suborders: long-whiskered and short-whiskered.
Long-whiskered: Representatives of the suborder are distinguished by long bristle-like antennae that exceed the length of the insect’s body.
The hearing organ (if any) is located on the shins of the first pair of legs. The ovipositor is usually long, differing in appearance between crickets and grasshoppers.
Short-whiskered: Representatives of the suborder are characterized by short antennae, usually not exceeding half the body length (hence the Russian name) and an ovipositor consisting of 2 pairs of short movable digging or cutting valves. Unlike representatives of the long-whiskered suborder, they never have hearing organs on the shins of the front legs, or primary chirping apparatus located on the elytra; if organs of hearing and sound emission are present, then they are located differently and are not homologous to those of long-whiskers.
Other morphological features include the frequent presence of suckers (aroli) between the claws of the legs.
This order is divided into the families Grasshoppers (Tettigonidae), Locusts (Acrididae), Mole crickets (Gryllotalpidae), Crickets (Gryllidae). Some types of locusts cause great harm to agriculture, destroying crops on hundreds of hectares.
Mole crickets are burrowing orthoptera, the front pair of limbs are digging.
They feed on roots and root crops of plants. They often cause significant damage to vegetable crops. A frequently encountered species is the common mole cricket (Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa).
Locusts have short antennae and a short hook-shaped ovipositor. The hearing organs - tympanic organs - are located on the first segment of the abdomen. Males make sounds by rubbing their hind legs against their elytra. The eggs are laid in the soil in a hole dug by the ovipositor.
Oviposition is called an egg capsule. The wall of the egg capsule is formed from soil particles glued together by secretions of the female accessory glands.
Locusts have solitary and gregarious phases of existence. During the gregarious phase, locusts form dense aggregations (swarms) and make long flights. The most harmful agricultural pests include the migratory or Asiatic locust (Locusta migratoria), the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria), and the Italian locust (Calliptamus italicus).
Food [edit | edit code ]
Contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of grasshoppers are omnivores with a penchant for carnivory. In fact, in many ways, grasshoppers are similar to praying mantises: they are also camouflage hunters, and also grab prey with their jagged front legs. But some species feed only on plants. Several species are reported as agricultural pests. Usually, due to the low population density compared to locusts and grasshoppers, the harm from them is insignificant, but some species in certain years are able to form different phases, like locusts, and then the damage from them becomes more noticeable.
Taxonomy [edit | edit code ]
The following subfamilies are distinguished in the grasshopper family:
The grasshopper is a herbivorous insect from the suborder Orthoptera, order Orthoptera. To distinguish them from crickets or katydids, they are sometimes called short-horned grasshoppers. Species that change color and behavior at high population densities are called locusts. There are about 11,000 known species of grasshoppers found around the world, often found in grassy fields, meadows and forests.
Order Homoptera
Order Homoptera. 30,000 species. Representatives: cicadas, aphids, etc.
Includes about 30 thousand species. They have two pairs of membranous wings of the same structure. The second pair is slightly smaller in size. They feed on plant juices. The oral apparatus is of the piercing-sucking type. Many plant pests are carriers of viral diseases.
Aphids belong to this order . They are small in size. Capable of reproducing parthenogenetically (without fertilization). They secrete a sugary substance that attracts ants. Ants feed on their secretions, spread aphids, and protect them. Cicadas are relatively large in size (5 cm or more). Capable of chirping to attract females. They are found mainly in the steppe zone.
Representatives: mountain cicada , etc.
Origin of the species and description
Modern grasshoppers are descended from ancient ancestors that lived long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Fossil evidence shows that primitive grasshoppers first appeared during the Carboniferous period, more than 300 million years ago. Most ancient grasshoppers are preserved as fossils, although grasshopper larvae (the second stage in a grasshopper's life after the initial egg phase) are sometimes found in amber. Grasshoppers are divided according to the length of their antennae (tentacles), which are also called horns.
Appearance and features
Photo: What a grasshopper looks like
Grasshoppers are medium to large insects. The length of an adult varies from 1 to 7 centimeters, depending on the species. Like their relatives the katydids and crickets, grasshoppers have chewing mouths, two pairs of wings, one narrow and stiff, the other wide and flexible, and long hind legs for jumping. They differ from these groups in that they have short antennae that do not extend too far back to their bodies.
The femoral region of the upper hind limbs of the grasshopper is significantly enlarged and contains large muscles that make the legs well adapted for jumping. The male may produce a buzzing sound by either rubbing the forewings (Tettigoniidae) or rubbing tooth-like projections on the hind femurs against a raised vein on each closed forewing (Acrididae).
Interesting fact: The grasshopper is an amazing insect that can leap 20 times its body length. The grasshopper doesn't actually "jump". He uses his paws as a catapult. Grasshoppers can jump and fly, they are capable of reaching speeds of 13 km/h when flying.
Grasshoppers typically have large eyes and are colored accordingly to blend in with their surroundings, usually a combination of brown, gray or green. Some species of males have bright colors on their wings, which they use to attract females. Several species feed on toxic plants and store the toxins in their bodies for protection. They are brightly colored to warn predators that they taste bad.
Female grasshoppers are larger than males and have sharp points on the end of their abdomens that help them lay eggs underground. The grasshopper's senses contact organs located in various parts of its body, including the antennae and palps on the head, the cerci on the abdomen, and the receptors on the legs. The organs of taste are located in the mouth, and the organs of smell are located on the antennae. The grasshopper hears using a tympanic cavity located either at the base of the abdomen (Acrididae) or at the base of each fore tibia (Tettigoniidae). His vision is carried out in the compound eyes, while changes in light intensity are perceived by the simple eyes.
Order of Dragonflies (Odonata)
Dragonfly Squad. 3,000 species. Representatives: flat dragonfly, rocker dragonfly, beauty dragonfly...
About 3 thousand species are known. They have an elongated slender body with a very mobile head and two pairs of transparent wings. The compound eyes are quite large. Good flyers develop high speed and can hover motionless in the air. Predatory animals capable of catching prey in flight. The mouthparts are gnawing type.
The larvae develop in water. They differ from adult insects, but have compound eyes. They breathe using tracheal gills. The lower lip (“mask”) is geniculate, elongated, and can extend and be thrown far forward to capture prey.
Representatives: rocker dragonflies, beauty dragonflies , etc.
Where does the grasshopper live?
Photo: Green grasshopper
Most orthoptera, including grasshoppers, live in the tropics, and there are about 18,000 species. About 700 of them are found in Europe - mainly in the south - and only 30 species live in the UK. There are eleven species of grasshoppers in Britain, and all but one of them are capable of flight. Their preference for warmer weather is also evident from the fact that only about 6 species are found as far north as Scotland.
Grasshoppers are found in a variety of habitats, with greatest numbers in lowland tropical forests, semi-arid areas and grasslands. Different grasshopper species have different habitats. The large marsh grasshopper (Stethophyma grossum), for example, is found only on peat bogs. The meadow grasshopper, however, is much less fussy and enjoys any pasture that is not too dry; This is the most common grasshopper.
Some grasshoppers are adapted to specialized habitats. South American paulinid grasshoppers spend most of their lives on floating vegetation, swim actively and lay eggs on aquatic plants. Grasshoppers are usually large, over 11 cm long (for example, the Tropidacris of South America).
Now you know where the grasshopper is found. Let's see what he eats.
What does a grasshopper eat?
Photo: Grasshopper in Russia
All grasshoppers are herbivores, feeding mainly on grass. More than 100 species of grasshoppers are found in Colorado, and their feeding habits vary. Some primarily feed on grass or sedges, while others prefer broad-leaved plants. Other grasshoppers limit their feeding to plants that have little economic value, and some even feed primarily on weed species. However, others readily feed on garden and landscape plants.
Among vegetable crops, some plants are preferred, such as:
Grasshoppers rarely feed on the leaves of trees and shrubs. However, during outbreak years, even these can be damaged. In addition, grasshoppers can accidentally damage shelterbelt plantings when they lean on branches and chew on bark, sometimes causing small branches to die.
Of the approximately 600 species of grasshoppers in the United States, about 30 cause serious damage to landscape plants and are considered garden pests. A large group of grasshoppers belonging to the suborder Caelifera are herbivores, eating insects that can cause significant damage to plants, especially crops and vegetables. In large numbers, grasshoppers are a serious problem for farmers, as well as a major irritation for home gardeners.
Although grasshoppers can feed on many different plants, they often prefer small grains, corn, alfalfa, soybeans, cotton, rice, clover, grass and tobacco. They can also eat lettuce, carrots, beans, sweet corn and onions. Grasshoppers are less likely to feed on plants such as pumpkins, peas and tomato leaves. The more grasshoppers present, the more likely they are to feed on plant species outside their preferred group.
Types of grasshoppers
These representatives of the insect kingdom, inhabiting almost all corners of the Earth, boast a rare variety of external and behavioral characteristics. There are about 7 thousand species of such creatures on the planet.
And each of them is endowed with its own characteristics. Types of grasshoppers primarily differ in size. Representatives of some varieties may have a length of one and a half centimeters, no more. But there are also giants, whose size reaches 15 cm.
By the way, female grasshoppers are noticeably larger than males and outwardly differ from them in the presence of an ovipositor - a special device of significant size designed for laying eggs. In size it can correspond to half the length of the female’s body, so it is simply impossible not to pay attention to it.
Also, the types of grasshoppers differ in their very varied colors. The coloring usually matches the environment where the insects live, acting as a kind of camouflage suit for the grasshopper. After all, it makes it invisible against the background of vegetation and landscape.
The color can be monochromatic, for example, green, but the color scheme varies significantly, surprising with the versatility of color tones. Also, the coloring of the species can be very impressive and bright, complemented by stripes and spots. All this diversity can be observed in the photo of grasshoppers .
Some types should be described in more detail.
1. The steppe grasshopper is one of the giants among the grasshoppers of Russia. And the size of such insects can reach up to 8 cm. Their wings are underdeveloped, they are either very short or completely absent. The color of these grasshoppers is green, sometimes with a yellowish tint and a longitudinal border of the same color.
They are distributed in different regions of southern Europe, in steppes covered with wormwood, and in ravines covered with sparse bushes. These insects are few in number, and the number of representatives of the species on Earth is constantly decreasing.
In the photo there is a steppe grasshopper
2. Green grasshopper . Adult specimens of this species have a body length of about 3 cm, but in some cases they can grow up to 6 cm. These creatures are found in some European countries, in the Asian territories of our country up to the Far East, as well as in Africa.
The jump length of such creatures can be up to 3 m. In addition, they are able to fly. These creatures chirp so loudly that they can be heard at a distance of 100 m. Males attract their partners with such concerts.
Green grasshopper
3. Greenhouse grasshopper is one of the smallest varieties. But its representative is capable of jumping almost half a meter in height. Outwardly, they no longer resemble grasshoppers, but spiders, but have huge antennae. The color of such creatures is brown or gray, decorated with dark spots.
For the most part, this is a resident of the central regions of China, but together with plants, such insects spread westward to Europe, right up to the Crimea, and on the other hand, moving east, they even reached the American continent. These grasshoppers prefer to live in greenhouses and conservatories, which is why they are called that.
Greenhouse grasshopper
4. Ball-headed grasshopper . This is a whole family of large grasshoppers, representatives of the long-whiskered suborder. The body sizes of such insects are large. Their head is large, spherical in shape, and the elytra are shortened. In various regions of the former USSR there are about 7 species of such grasshoppers. They are also found in Eurasia and northern Africa.
Ball-headed grasshopper
5. Giant weta - one of the largest and heaviest grasshoppers. The weight of such insects can reach up to 70 g and even rise higher. They are found in New Zealand, but not in the entire archipelago, but only on a very small island called Little Barrier, and are considered endemic. This creature can quite successfully defend itself from enemies with its huge (the length of the lower leg is 5 cm) and strong hind legs.
But such limbs do not help them jump; grasshoppers are apparently too heavy. But apart from the size, in appearance they are quite similar to their relatives from other species or crickets. Such insects can settle in caves, open spaces and forests of the mentioned island, as well as near populated areas.
Giant weta
6. Steppe fat man . The variety of such insects is considered extremely rare. Today, their range has decreased significantly. The existence of this species has been recorded in the Krasnodar Territory, in the vicinity of Rostov, in Kabardino-Balkaria, and in certain other regions of Russia. This is a black grasshopper , whose body has a bronze tint. There are indeed spotted individuals of this variety.
Steppe fat man
Features of character and lifestyle
Photo: Large grasshopper
Grasshoppers are most active during the day but feed at night. They do not have nests or territories, and some species go on long migrations to find new food supplies. Most species are solitary and come together only to mate, but migratory species sometimes gather in huge groups of millions or even billions of individuals.
Fun Fact: When a grasshopper is picked up, it "spits" a brown liquid known as "tobacco juice." Some scientists believe that this liquid can protect grasshoppers from attacks by insects such as ants and other predators - they "spit" the liquid on them, and then catapult and quickly fly away.
Grasshoppers also try to escape from their enemies hiding in the grass or among the leaves. If you've ever tried to catch grasshoppers in a field, you know how quickly they can disappear into the long grass.
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 around the plants. In hot weather they take refuge 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. In this way, males can attract females or warn that this territory is already occupied. Grasshoppers live only in the warm season. Before the cold weather, the female lays eggs in the soil. Eggs survive the winter, but grasshoppers do not. The lifespan of grasshoppers is from 4 to 8 months.
Social structure and reproduction
Photo: Grasshopper in nature
Grasshopper life cycles vary depending on the species. Eggs are laid when the female pushes her ovipositor into grass or sand. All grasshoppers lay their eggs in the soil in dense, grouped pods. Relatively dry soils, undisturbed by tillage or irrigation, are preferred.
Oviposition may be concentrated in specific areas with favorable soil texture, slope and orientation. The female grasshopper coats the eggs with a foamy substance, which soon hardens into a protective covering and protects them during the winter.
The egg stage is the overwintering stage of most, but not all, grasshoppers. The eggs overwinter in the soil and begin to hatch in the spring. Young grasshoppers can be seen hopping around in May and June. One generation of grasshoppers is born once a year.
When the eggs hatch, tiny first-stage larvae emerge to the surface and seek out tender foliage to feed. The first few days are critical for survival. Unfavorable weather or lack of suitable food can lead to high mortality. Surviving grasshoppers continue to develop over the next few weeks, usually molting through five or six stages before eventually reaching adult form.
Adult grasshoppers can live for months, alternating between feeding and mating and laying eggs. Species that remain in the egg stage in winter die out in late summer and early autumn. A few species, such as the most notable spotted-winged grasshopper, spend the winter as larvae, remain active during warm periods, and can develop into an adult form by late winter.
Diptera
Representatives of the order Diptera are also insects with complete metamorphosis. They are easily recognized by their characteristic buzzing sound. This sound occurs when the modified rear pair of wings vibrate. They are called halteres and provide balance to the insect during flight.
Contrary to popular belief, the main food of mosquitoes is flower nectar. But the females of some species actually feed on the blood of humans and animals. They need this substance to form eggs. At the same time, mosquitoes can carry dangerous diseases, such as malaria.
Flies are also dangerous insects. These seemingly harmless inhabitants of the human home feed on food. Therefore, their larvae develop in accumulations of organic matter: garbage pits, garbage bins, animal corpses. As a result, the surface of their body and digestive tract contain a huge amount of viruses, helminth eggs, and bacterial spores. Flies use them to contaminate food. By consuming them, a person can become infected with dysentery, typhoid, tuberculosis and other dangerous diseases.
Natural enemies of grasshoppers
Photo: What a grasshopper looks like
Grasshopper's greatest enemies include the various species of flies that lay eggs in or near grasshopper eggs. After the fly eggs hatch, the newborn flies eat the grasshopper eggs. Some flies even lay eggs on the grasshopper's body even while the grasshopper is flying. The newborn flies then eat the grasshopper.
Other enemies of grasshoppers are:
Some insects commonly feed on grasshoppers. Many species of blister beetles develop on grasshopper egg pods and in blister beetle population cycles with their grasshopper hosts. Adult robber flies are common predators of grasshoppers in summer, and other flies develop as internal parasites of grasshoppers. Many birds, especially the horned lark, also feed on grasshoppers. Grasshoppers are also often eaten by coyotes.
Grasshoppers are susceptible to some unusual diseases. The fungus Entomophthora grylli infects grasshoppers, causing them to move upward and cling to plants shortly before they kill their insect hosts. Stiff, dead grasshoppers found stuck to a grass stem or branch indicate infection with this disease. Grasshoppers also sometimes develop a very large nematode (Mermis nigriscens). Both the fungal disease and the nematode parasite benefit from wet weather.
Fun fact: Humans have consumed locusts and grasshoppers for centuries. According to the Bible, John the Baptist ate locusts and honey in the desert. Locusts and grasshoppers are a regular dietary component in local diets in many areas of Africa, Asia and the Americas, and because they contain high levels of protein, they are also an important food source.
