The grasshopper photographs presented at Mikrul can be used as demonstration material in biology (zoology) lessons in 7th grade when studying the topic “Insects. Orthoptera."
What are the advantages of the photographs presented? In their clear image. If in a textbook for 7th grade the photographs are, as a rule, “separated” from the drawings (or diagrams) attached to them, so you have to constantly look from the drawing to the photograph and back, here everything is simpler. Firstly, the object is natural. Secondly, there is no need to run your eyes around (look for an explanatory text or diagram). Everything is nearby! Thirdly, on some slides there is also a magnification (120 times) of the organs being studied, which makes it easier to navigate through other frames.
We do not set ourselves the task of revealing the external structure as in-depth material. We simply give an explanation of where it is located and what this or that organ is. Why is that? When looking at a photograph (without a designation), naturally, as a rule, two questions arise: what is it and what is it called? Without receiving an answer to them, other questions naturally disappear, and along with them, interest in studying disappears. How does notation photography work? Let’s look at the example of the “Grasshopper Head” frame. The first thing your eye goes to is the lower right corner. This is where the attracting (currently unknown) object is located. But if “upper and lower lips” are somehow still clear (that this is a mouth), then what are “mandibles”? You are not interested in what the “mandibles” are made of, what they are covered with (or not covered with), what work (function) they perform, etc., all this comes later. In the meantime, the question is - what is it? Here under the photo is the answer: “The mandibles are the main part of the gnawing mouthparts; the first pair of jaws used for gnawing and crushing food.” Interest satisfied. And so on for each organ. You can’t do that in a book, but here you can. Next, what are those big “bumps” on the top of the grasshopper’s head? Signed: “compound eyes.” That the eyes are understandable, but what does “faceted” mean? Here is the entry under the frame - “Facet - a separate ocellus of the compound eye of arthropods consists of the cornea, lens and nerve cells.” This process of getting to know each other, or learning (whatever you like), goes through all the personnel.
We believe that at the first stage, familiarization with the external structure (in this case of a grasshopper, and in the future other representatives) will allow the teacher to remember the necessary material more deeply.
When studying the order Orthoptera, we recommend using photographs from Mikrula. In particular, all parts of the grasshopper's head are very clearly visible. The head has a separate apex of the crown, compressed laterally.
What is the world record for jumping on the Grasshopper?
Pogopalooza 3 was held in 2006 in Albany, New York. Pogopalooza 4 was held in 2007 in Huntington Beach, California. Fred Grzybowski breaks world record
in
the high jump
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Description and features
The grasshopper is an insect found almost everywhere. It is so hardy and unpretentious to environmental conditions that it can successfully take root in almost any corner of the vast world, with the exception of areas of the planet covered with eternal snow and bound by ice all year round. This insect is found on plains and highlands, hiding in green meadow grass; it is an inhabitant of humid, hot jungles and even arid deserts.
This creature belongs to the order Orthoptera and has many interesting structural features. They allow such representatives of the insect world to successfully survive, spreading across countries and continents.
The grasshopper has three pairs of legs. Moreover, the front four limbs are used for walking, and, not surprisingly, the ears of the insect are placed on them. And the muscular hind legs, capable of pushing off any surface with enormous force, enable such a creature to make impressive jumps.
In this case, the grasshopper rises very high and moves over considerable distances, twenty times greater than its own size. In addition, some varieties of such insects have wings, and two pairs: front and rear. With their help, the grasshopper is also able to mix, although not very far.
The impressive antennae, which are often longer than the body of these small creatures, serve as their organs of touch. The body of these insects itself has three sections. The first of them is a large head, on which large faceted, oval-shaped eyes are clearly visible. The other two parts are the chest and abdomen.
Insects are known for their ability to make interesting noises - chirping. Moreover, the sounds of a grasshopper are rightfully considered unique, differing in volume, timbre and melody depending on the species.
And representatives of each of them can boast of their own unique sound. The role of the “tool” is played by a special membrane located on the left elytra. It has a thick vein with teeth - this is a kind of bow.
And the membrane on the right elytra functions as a resonator. Such natural devices produce unique melodies when vibrating. In most species of such insects, only males are endowed with “musical” abilities. But there are also types of grasshoppers in which the females can also chirp.
As already mentioned, grasshoppers listen with their feet, since their organs designed to capture sound waves are located on the front legs of these creatures. More precisely, the eardrums are located on the shins.
In some varieties they are open, but some species are equipped with special caps that hide them. The hearing aid itself has very sensitive cells and nerve endings.
Reproduction
Females lay eggs in warm weather. The female plunges the ovipositor into the ground and lays eggs, usually 10-20 pieces, but in some clutches there can be from 1 to 5 eggs.
Grasshoppers are a delicious food for many animals.
The eggs spend the entire winter in the ground, and in the spring they hatch into larvae, which instantly gain weight and constantly molt, thus shedding their old skin. The larva molts up to 5-7 times. As the larvae grow, they develop wings. After the last molt, a sexually mature grasshopper is obtained.
The main task of grasshoppers is reproduction, since these insects do not live very long - the life cycle is only a few weeks. After the female has laid her eggs, nature no longer needs her. Adult insects die, and life continues with eggs overwintering in the ground. In spring the cycle repeats again. And this continues for millions of years.
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External differences
The main external difference between insects is the size of the limbs and whiskers.
Insects also differ in head type. In pests it is rectangular, inactive, with powerful jaws, while in predators the head is small, oblong, with sharp jaws.
The locust's body is longer than that of the grasshopper (the predator's abdomen is wider at the sides).
Mustache length
The grasshopper has long antennae that rise above its head. The length reaches half the body, or even more. The whiskers of predators are endowed with a functional feature: they are responsible for orientation in space, and are also an organ of touch.
Unlike grasshoppers and crickets, the length of the whiskers located on the body of locusts is much shorter. In pests they are small, the length does not exceed half of the body. The mustache does not have a functional feature and is a decorative addition.
Limbs
Another difference is the limbs:
- In predators they are longer than in herbivorous pests. The presence of massive hind limbs allows grasshoppers to make large jumps, which is necessary when hunting insects. The serrated forelimbs help to grab the prey.
- Herbivorous pests have very weak forelimbs; they are designed to support the body when moving on their hind legs. Despite the hind limbs being shorter and weaker than those of the grasshopper, the locust is capable of making large jumps.
Ovipositor
- and the order of egg laying:
- The female predator lays eggs using a sword-shaped ovipositor located behind the body in various hidden places: tree bark, stems of shoots, plants, etc.
- The female pest has a spiny-type ovipositor located at the end of the body. The eggs are hidden directly in the soil. Laying occurs in the summer-autumn period, the female pest makes a hole where she hides the eggs. With the help of secretory fluid secreted from the gland, the empty space between them is filled, thereby providing protection to future offspring. The hardened ovipositor (pod) takes the shape of a tube. A female locust is capable of producing several clutches, after which she dies. In favorable conditions, pests are able to lay eggs all year round; the number of clutches reaches 8 times a year.
Who is bigger?
The locust is larger than the grasshopper, sometimes several times. Thus, an adult pest has a body length of 3 cm and reaches a size of up to 8 cm, while a predator, on average, has a length of 2.5 to 4 cm (green and gray grasshopper).
Nutrition
In most species, the grasshopper is a predator. It eats insects that are smaller in size, and also happily destroys the clutches of various insects. If the hunt did not bring any prey, then young plants will easily be suitable for dinner.
And yet, if we compare a grasshopper with a locust, then the grasshopper still has much more positive qualities than the voracious locust. Children often catch grasshoppers and put them in jars. So, if you forget to feed the grasshoppers in such a jar, then the stronger individuals can easily snack on their weak relatives, they can afford this.
The fact of cannibalism especially concerns those insect lovers who are going to keep grasshoppers in an insectarium. To ensure that none of the inhabitants are harmed, pets must receive plenty of necessary food.
How they jump
A large grasshopper such as a locust can jump to a height of about a meter (twenty body lengths) without using its wings. They jump, stretching out their large hind legs and pushing against the substrate (the ground, a twig, a blade of grass, whatever they stand on). The force of the push throws them into the air.
Grasshoppers jump for several reasons:
- escape from a predator;
- move from place to place.
For an emergency jump, there is a strong selective pressure to maximize takeoff speed as it determines the flight range. This means that the legs must push against the ground with both high force and great speed of movement.
The main property of muscles is the inability to contract with great force and high speed at the same time.
Grasshoppers overcome this by using a catapult mechanism to enhance the mechanical force produced by the muscles.
The jump consists of three stages.
- Fully flexes the lower leg (tibia) relative to the upper leg, activating the flexor muscle.
- There is a period of co-contraction in which force is stored in the large, pennate extensor muscle, but the bone remains flexed as the muscle contracts simultaneously. The extensor muscle is much stronger than the flexor muscle. The contraction lasts up to half a second. The contraction of the extensor muscles is slow, which allows for the development of greater force (up to 14 N in the desert locust). Because it is slow, only a small amount of power is needed.
- The third stage of the jump is the flexor muscle relaxation trigger. The tough cuticle acts like a catapult or a bow and arrow. Energy is delivered at low power through slow but strong muscle contraction. It is removed from storage at high power through the rapid relaxation of mechanical elastic structures.
Males spend most of the day chattering. Females also make sounds, but less. Songs are a means of communication. Social cohesion becomes essential among grasshoppers due to the ability to jump or fly long distances. Song serves to limit dispersal and guide others to favorable habitat. Sounds vary in volume and intensity.
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Lifestyle and habitat
Although grasshoppers take root well in alpine meadows, in the tropics and in the tundra, they are still unable to withstand the climate of very arid deserts and arctic cold. They feel great in the expanse of the steppe, in forest glades and forest edges, in wheat and potato fields, and in thickets of bushes.
Such creatures conduct their life activities on the surface. Hiding underground, in secluded places under fallen branches and stumps, in tree hollows and holes is not for them. Usually they simply move along grass and other plants, hiding from the hot sun and bad weather under their leaves.
They usually rest during the day and go out to hunt at night. And it is at this time that it is possible to hear their chirping. As mentioned earlier, such sounds are produced by males. This way they can attract their friends for mating, and also inform their rivals that this territory is protected because it is already occupied.
grasshopper jump
a green insect in nature that looks like a grasshopper . These are locusts. True, it can also have brown, gray and yellow, but also a camouflage color, that is, to match the color of the environment. And at a superficial glance, it can be almost impossible to distinguish between these two insects.
However, there are significant differences in their behavior. Locusts live in swarms. And such countless hordes are sometimes so huge that they simply destroy entire fields of crops with fantastic speed. Grasshoppers, as a rule, are solitary creatures. And yet, the locust does not jump, but it flies well, and its legs are shorter.
Lifestyle
These insects prefer solitude. Those who are trying to figure out how long grasshoppers live will do well to understand that they do not have their own home. They live among trees and bushes. In particularly hot weather, insects hide in the grass all day, leaving shady shelters in the morning.
Throughout the summer, grasshoppers produce ringing melodies. These sounds are the result of vibration. They intensify when the insects raise their wings. The singing of males allows them to attract the attention of females and show rivals that the given territory is already occupied.
