Grasshoppers Habitat

Grasshoppers are vegetarian insects, which can jump, walk and fly. Grasshoppers have a typical 3 - part insect body, which includes the head, thorax and abdomen. They also have 2 antennae, 2 pairs of wings and 6 legs. Keep reading to learn about more about grasshoppers habitat and facts about grasshoppers.

Grasshoppers Species
These insects belong to the order Orthoptera and suborder Caelifera. There are around 10,000 types of grasshoppers. Some species have toxic bodies which are brightly colored, which is supposed to be a warning (of their poisonous nature) to their predators. Some species are unable to make sounds by rubbing their legs. This sound is a mating call and therefore, some species are brightly colored to attract their mates.

Habitat of a Grasshopper
Grasshoppers are observed in all kinds of habitats. Some examples of grasshoppers habitat are grasslands, rain forests, pastures, fields, swamps and tropics. Most surprisingly they are also found in deserts. In case of adverse conditions, grasshoppers are known to migrate in large numbers. Areas with dense vegetation like scrubs, are home to some rare and interesting species of grasshoppers.

Common Grasshoppers Habitat: Grasshoppers habitats are generally concentrated in areas that have low growing plants, since they like to eat grass, leaves, and cereal crops. But, if there is depletion of these foods they start eating other favorable food for survival.

Rare Grasshoppers Habitat: Grasshoppers are rare in freshwater swamps and mangrove swamps because of the destruction they cause to the eggs that the insects lay in the soil, due to flooding.

Habitat Manipulation of Grasshoppers: Grasshoppers feed on crops like barley, corn, oats, etc., which is why they are regarded as pests by farmers. Habitat manipulation of grasshoppers is a control strategy, where the number of natural predators of grasshoppers are increased in the fields. This helps in depletion of grasshopper population, and thus protects the crops.

Grasshoppers Diet
You would think that, a small insect like grasshopper, would have few dietary needs. But it is not so. A grasshopper eats food which amounts to 16 times its body weight. So, what do grasshoppers eat? As, all ready mentioned above, they prefer eating grass and plants which are leafy. Grasshoppers are foodaholics, eating not just during the day but also at night. If you are wondering when they take out time for the other basic necessity called sleep, well they do sleep, but just for a little while at night.

Grasshoppers Life Cycle and Reproduction
Most grasshoppers are musical, and sing songs to attract their mates! They sing (make sounds) by rubbing their back legs on their fore-wings, which is called stridulation. Females make softer noises compared to males, which helps to distinguish between the genders. Some species who can't sing, find their mates with the help of scent and sight.

In some species of grasshoppers, the sperms in the genital tract of the female, from her first mate is replaced by the sperm of her next mate. This is the reason that males try and mate as many times as possible with the same female and other females, so that they can pass on their genes. Sadly, the females die after they lay eggs. The eggs, laid on the ground, generally on a leaf or plant stem, hatch into larvae 3 - 4 weeks later. The larvae hide themselves underground immediately, and come out as nymphs (small adults) and after 3 months, mature to full-sized adults. This was about the life cycle of a grasshopper. The lifespan of an average grasshopper is 1 year.

Other Interesting Grasshoppers Facts
There are many interesting grasshopper facts, some of which are listed below.

• If grasshoppers are picked up, they spit out a brownish liquid, which is commonly known as tobacco juice!
• A grasshopper can jump up to, about 20 times its body length. If you could do that, you would definitely win the long jump at the Olympics!
• Their color and body shape, helps them to hide (camouflage) in fields to protect them against their predators. Also, they have eyes which are usually brown, green or gray colored to match their surroundings.
• Crickets, a type of grasshoppers, can be used to calculate temperature. After sunset, calculate the number of times a cricket chirps in 15 seconds and add 40 to this number, and you will have temperature in Fahrenheit.

Grasshoppers can eat almost anything, from clothes, tomatoes, paper, and even toxic plants! Maybe that is the reason for their brilliant adaptability which in turn has resulted in their occupation of varied grasshoppers habitats.