Grasshopper Facts

Grasshoppers are herbivores and they belong to the family of the suborder Caelifera (in the order Orthoptera). The eggs, the nymphs and the adults are the three major stages which form an important part of the life cycle of grasshoppers. It is known that there are approximately 11,000 - 18,000 different species of these insects and each of these species is known to possess a unique set of ecological and physiological adaptation. These adaptations are made by the grasshopper species in order to thrive in their own types of environment or so to say 'habitat', which would allow them to grow, survive and reproduce.

The habitat provides the species with nutritive food supplies, proper conditions for living space and eggs. It also has in store for them the different favorable or tolerable physical and biotic relationships for all the life stages. Grasshoppers can be found in almost all places across the globe, except in the north and south poles where 'living' might become impossible for these insects. You can observe grasshoppers having a 'grand fiesta!' in meadows, fields and in any place where there is an abundant supply of food (leaves, particularly!). Having given a brief introduction about these flying insects, let's now know about the various grasshopper facts. More on types of flying insects.

Some Must-Know Grasshopper Facts

Physiology of Grasshoppers
As the name suggests, a typical grasshopper can 'hop' with a velocity of 3 m/s. The push for the jump comes from the contraction of muscles inside their long legs. Apart from these legs used for jumping, the body of a grasshopper consists of a head, thorax and abdomen, six jointed legs, two pairs of wings, and two antennae. These insects do not have nose to breath but they make use of a series of holes which are located along the sides of the body. These breathing holes are known as spiracles. One of the many amazing grasshopper facts is that it can jump 20 times the length of its own body!

As mentioned already, a grasshopper has five eyes (2 large compound eyes and 3 simple eyes). The compound eyes consist of thousands of single lenses which work together to enable the insect to see an object. These eyes are able to see forward, backwards and sideways for long distances. No wonder it is difficult to catch this insect! Out of the three smaller eyes, two are located at the base of each antennae and the third one between the antennae.

Diet of Grasshoppers
What do grasshoppers eat? Well, when it comes to the feeding part, some of them will eat just any type of plant they come across, while some species have their own particular choice. Common delicacies of these insects include cotton, clover, wheat, alfalfa, barley, corn, rye, oats and many other agricultural crops. Since they have a variety of choices in their food types, they are one of the major 'woes' of farmers for causing them tremendous damage every year. That is the reason why these voracious eaters are not on the good books of farmers!

Some Unusual Grasshopper Facts!
I would like to put some more light on one of the above-mentioned grasshopper facts, where I had remarked that these 'crop destroyers' are also good singers. Not all creatures on the Earth possess this special quality that the different sub species of grasshoppers do. They are different musicians having their own unique style of producing music. It has been observed that some species clatter their wings, while some rub them and some enjoy rubbing the pegs on their hind legs, in order to create their melodious tunes, which for us, merely sound like 'chirrp chirrp...chirrp chirrp'. Among these musicians, there are also some who prefer to be silent or mute audiences. Matured males generally make these sounds to attract females or use as a warning sign to warn other males to keep away.

Grasshoppers are Nutritious!
Did you know that grasshoppers are a rich source of protein? A small grasshopper contains about 14.3 grams of protein and a large one around, 20.6 grams. This is what makes the insect a favorite delicacy among inhabitants of China, Mexico and more particularly in Africa. Military personnels are also trained to catch these insects and include them in their meal when there is a dearth in the food supply. These insects are not eaten raw though! They are cleaned and cooked properly in order to avoid any kind of tape worm infections. This is one among the many grasshopper facts, which never fail to amuse people who are unaware of it!

Some Beneficial Grasshopper Species
These insects have always been associated with a 'bad' reputation among farmers. An important fact about grasshoppers what most people are unaware of is that, these notorious 'crop destroyers' also provide some kinds of benefits to farmers. A fact that is difficult to swallow, isn't it? Out of the many species of grasshoppers, one which is known as Turnbull’s grasshopper (Aeoloplides turnbulli), dwells in the Prairies, feeds on weeds which are a natural threat to all crops. The two-striped grasshopper (Melanoplus bivittatus) is another friendly grasshopper species, which have plants that are toxic to cattle, in their menu. To add to all these bright grasshopper facts, I would also like to mention about the droppings or frass which these insects leave on the soil. These frass are known to help the soil restore their nutrients, which ultimately leads to a better harvest.

Grab some more info by checking out more on facts about grasshoppers.

So after going through the various grasshopper facts, I would like to conclude that these insects have their own pros and cons. No doubt, they pose great threat to agricultural crops, but in some way they also do their bit in doing good for the same. Whatever the case may be, grasshoppers live their life as they are supposed to. For them, the crops are a food source and not something that they enjoy to plunder upon. They are small, but still an essential part of the ecosystem and whatever they do is just a part of their short but active lifecycle!