Grasshoppers are insects that inhabit all continents of the planet except Antarctica. They live everywhere: in the mountains, on the plains, in forests, fields, cities and summer cottages. There is probably no person who has not seen a single grasshopper. Meanwhile, these insects are divided into 6,800 species, some of which vary greatly. Let's look at the most common and unusual ones.
What types of grasshoppers are there?
Reproduction and development of grasshoppers
Grasshoppers of temperate latitudes begin breeding in May - June, tropical species breed regardless of the season. Males attract females with loud trills and a special spermatophore vial consisting of seminal fluid and a sticky nutrient. When mating, the male hangs the vial from the abdomen of the female grasshopper, and she begins to eat the sticky part, while the seminal fluid flows into the female's oviduct.
Laying eggs lasts several hours; in different species of grasshoppers, a female’s clutch can contain from 100 to 1000 eggs. Grasshoppers lay large, oval eggs directly in the ground, attach them to branches and grass stems, and hide them in dry wood or under the bark of trees.
In temperate latitudes, the clutch overwinters in the ground until next year.
Population and species status
More than 20,000 species of grasshoppers have been identified worldwide, and more than 1,000 exist in the United States. The grasshopper population is not in danger of decline or extinction. Many species of grasshoppers are common herbivores, feeding on a variety of plants, but some species feed only on grass. Some species, under the right conditions, can have population booms and cause billions of dollars in damage to food crops each year.
One individual grasshopper can't do too much damage, although it eats about half its body weight in plants each day, but when the locusts swarm, their combined feeding habits can completely ruin the landscape, leaving farmers without crops and people without food. In the United States alone, grasshoppers cause approximately $1.5 billion in grassland damage each year.
Grasshoppers can be the most visible and damaging insects in yards and fields. They are also one of the most difficult insects to control because they are so mobile. For many reasons, grasshopper populations fluctuate greatly from year to year and can cause serious damage during periodic outbreaks. Problems usually begin in early summer and can continue until severe frosts.
While grasshoppers can cause significant damage to crops, the ecosystem would be a very different place without these insects. They play an important role in the environment, making it a safer and more efficient place for plants and other animals to thrive. In fact, even changing a grasshopper's mood can change the ways it benefits the environment, reflecting how dependent our ecosystem is on jumping insects.
The grasshopper is an interesting insect that not only causes damage, but also benefits people and the ecosystem as a whole by promoting decomposition and plant regrowth, creating a balance between the types of plants that thrive. Despite their small size, grasshoppers consume enough food to influence the types of plants that later grow.
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Peacock grasshopper
This grasshopper received this name because of the pattern on its wings. When raised, they actually vaguely resemble a peacock's tail. The grasshopper uses its bright colors and unusual decoration on its wings as a psychological weapon. If there is danger nearby, the wings rise vertically, imitating the large size of the insect and huge “eyes”.
Adaptation of grasshoppers to their environment
Many animals feed on grasshoppers, and they face death every second. Therefore, they fight for life, using all the opportunities given by nature. The main methods of defense of grasshoppers are protective and dismembering coloration, the ability to hide, jumping legs, spines with which they signal to relatives about approaching danger, and the ability to bite. For example, the leaf grasshopper from Sudan can bite through human skin until it bleeds. But there are also lesser-known types of protection for these insects.
When threatened, some grasshoppers can tear off their legs. The ability of animals to break off body parts is called autotomy. Grasshoppers easily lose one of their hind legs, and sometimes both. Close to the phenomenon of autotomy is the process of self-mutilation - gnawing off limbs in response to irritation. This is especially common in some grasshoppers.
Protective coloring seems to be a simple and primitive way of protection. Grasshoppers also use other, more complex methods of deception. Mimicking leaves is a favorite technique used by many insects. One of the grasshoppers of the species Cycloptera elegans looks very much like a dried leaf. The similarity is enhanced by spots on its wings, reminiscent of a fungal infection of the leaves.
Another grasshopper from the genus Pterochosa, living in America, is similar in color, pattern, and arrangement of veins to a withering and discarded leaf. There are spots on its wings that resemble damage to leaves by leaf miners. This ideal method of copying was called “hyperthemia” (overimitation).
Other species imitate the resemblance to a twig protruding from a trunk, lichen growths on tree trunks. There are grasshoppers that can scare away attackers with a squeal and cause disgust with a drop of regurgitated gastric juice.
Photo credit: gailhampshire, CC BY 2.0
Field grasshoppers
They have a laterally compressed body with a fusiform and slightly compressed abdomen at the top. Field grasshoppers are also lobed and large-headed, often lack simple eyes and have tightly compressed lips. The jaws of insects of the group are well developed.
Green grasshopper
Cannot be larger than 7 centimeters in length. The insect is painted green. The color on the wings is especially rich. There are 2 pairs of them. This is a feature of all grasshoppers. They use the first narrow pair of wings to protect the body when at rest and when jumping. The upper wings are wide and are used for flight.
On the wings of a green grasshopper there may be brown along the edge. Large eyes stand out on the insect's muzzle. They are faceted, that is, they are held on the head by a ring of cuticle - a tough but flexible tissue.
There are subspecies of green grasshoppers . They all hide in the crown of bushes and trees. Therefore, insects do not jump out from under people’s feet. Accordingly, meetings with representatives of the group are rare.
song grasshopper
This is a mini copy of a green grasshopper. The songbird does not grow more than 3.5 centimeters. Another 3 may be on the ovipositor.
The wings of the singing grasshopper end level with the abdomen. Representatives of the green species have wings that protrude significantly.
Gray grasshopper
Grows up to 4 centimeters in length. The grasshopper's appearance matches its name. The abundance of brown spots on a green background makes the insect gray when viewed from a distance. Gray grasshoppers are easy to see. Insects live in field and steppe grasses, easily tolerating the heat.
Due to their prevalence and large size, gray grasshoppers are confused with locusts, which belong to the short antennae suborder. In its name lies the difference between insects.
The antennae of the gray grasshopper are often longer than its body. Locusts have short whiskers. The mechanism of chirping also differs. Locusts make sounds by rubbing their legs together. The grasshopper arches its elytra.
Gray one of the most common types of grasshoppers
Long-nosed grasshopper
Represents the fauna of Europe. The length of the insect does not exceed 6.3 centimeters. The color of the grasshopper is brown-green.
The long-nosed insect is named because of the elongated front part of the muzzle. The grasshopper appears to be equipped with a proboscis.
Grasshopper-leaf
In Latin it is called Elimaea Poaefolia. Among field grasshoppers it has the longest body. It is narrow and green. This allows you to blend in with the blades of grass on which the grasshopper sits.
The leaf grasshopper lives in the Malay Archipelago.
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
External structure of a grasshopper's head
The head is the anterior section of the body of insects, consisting of several segments fused together into one whole. The number of segments that make up the head may vary.
The mouth opening is surrounded by oral organs.
Oral organs - organs located in the oral cavity, in particular, those limbs of arthropods that are located near the mouth and are related to grasping, accepting, tearing and generally preparing food. The oral organs are covered above and below by the plates of the upper and lower lips. The upper jaws are used to capture and crush prey. The lower jaws and lower lip each bear a pair of palps, which are organs of touch and taste.
Palps are segmented appendages of the jaws equipped with various sensory organs.
The mandibles are the main part of the gnawing mouthparts; the first pair of jaws used for gnawing and crushing food.
Antennae (antennae) are mobile, thin, jointed appendages on the head of arthropods that are organs of smell and touch.
Compound eyes are compound eyes, the paired organ of vision of insects, crustaceans and some other invertebrates; formed by numerous individual eyes ommatidia. They perceive moving objects well and provide a wide field of view. Visual acuity and the ability to perceive the shape of an object are poorly developed.
Facet (ommatidium) is a separate ocellus of the compound eye of arthropods; consists of the cornea, lens and nerve cells.
In addition to the compound eyes, vision is ensured by the joint work of simple ocelli. With the help of eyes that operate in low light, the animal is able to return to its shelter before darkness sets in.
The olfactory organs (olfactory hairs and pits) are remarkable in that they can perceive odors over long distances through the air.
The presence of hairs on an animal's body is of no little importance. With the help of special hairs, some insects perceive the slightest shaking of the soil. Grasshoppers are sensitive to soil vibrations and can respond to vibrations of ground particles with an amplitude equal to 0.5 the diameter of an atom. Such sensitivity means that if an earthquake with a magnitude of 5-6 occurred somewhere in the Far East, then a grasshopper in the Moscow region would feel these soil vibrations. Therefore, the biological significance of hairs is to ensure survival. This explains the instinctive concern of each individual for the sanitary condition of the hairs. By observing insects, you can be convinced that they very diligently and repeatedly clean their hairs from dirt, using their paws, palps, and jaw appendages.
The organs of touch (sensitive hairs on different parts of the body) help to navigate even in the absence of light.
The taste organs are similar to the olfactory organs and are associated with the chemical sense.
Grasshoppers feed mainly on flowers and buds, as well as insects found among the grass. On this occasion, we can quote an excerpt from Pavel Marikovsky’s book “To a Young Entomologist”: “...Here, near a mountain stream, on the edge of a large leaf sparkling in the sun, sits a large grasshopper, tettigonium caudata. he gnaws at the greens, and his jaws work regularly and rhythmically. But a motley butterfly flew onto the leaf and trustingly opened its wonderful, gilded wings. The grasshopper's jaws stopped, its long antennae froze, and its large eyes, frozen, stared straight at the butterfly. Then an instant jump - and a minute later there was nothing left of the lovely butterfly, except for a pitiful, crumpled lump, disfigured by a predator...”
Lots of questions
Indeed, I would like at least some specific words from experts about whether this fact actually took place. There is only an old photograph in which the largest grasshopper (photo attached) hangs lifelessly with its antennae down, its hind legs (although in relation to the photograph one should say antennae and paws) are doubtfully clamped by the frail hand of a brave hunter. If this fact took place, then where was the public looking? Did the Red Book appear after this incident? There are more questions than answers. The photo looks like an obvious hoax - Americans are generally known forgers. Every criticism is valid. Indeed, where is the shadow of the grasshopper? Why is the posture of a successful hunter so relaxed, because the load is considerable? Someone even pointed out the fact that in 1937 “baseball caps” were not worn. As for the size, there are clear facts that they do not correspond to the life of this type of insect.
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Giant Weta
You can meet this giant on the islands of New Zealand. It was the isolation of the territories that allowed the insect to grow to its modern size.
Endemics are often distinguished by gigantism; it will not be possible to meet this grasshopper in any other place except the New Zealand archipelago.
The color of the insect is brown, its dimensions reach 10 cm in length, its legs are equipped with sharp spines, which the insect uses exclusively for defense.
Amblycorifa
Grasshoppers can be more than just green. This is clearly demonstrated by the grasshopper - amblycorifa. Representatives of this species can be dark brown, pink and even orange! There is also a traditional green color. Interestingly, the color of a particular grasshopper is determined without any pattern. This is not affected by either the habitat or the color of the parents. However, dark brown and orange colors are very rare.
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.
Fat Pallas / Deracantha onos
The uniqueness of the species lies in the fact that its representatives, during evolution, have lost the ability to jump. This feature makes this species completely defenseless, especially against human agricultural activities (grazing livestock, land development).
These colorful insects feed mainly on cereals, but cannibalism is possible in captivity.
The sizes of Tolstunov range from 40–50 mm in males to 50–60 mm in females. This species is named after the first scientist who described it, P. Pallas.
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Appearance of insects
These insects don't have ears, but they can certainly hear. An organ called the eardrum aids their hearing. One of the unique facts about grasshoppers is that the eardrum is located in the abdominal cavity and often looks like a huge round disc.
Grasshoppers are easily confused with crickets, which belong to the same family, but they have many distinctive features. For example, there are clear differences in the number of antennal segments, the structure of the ovipositor and the way sounds are produced, as well as the position of the cymbals. Unlike crickets, grasshoppers have 20 to 24 antennal segments.
The grasshopper's nervous system consists of nerve cells freely located in the body. They are called ganglia. These cells generally exist in almost all species. All ganglia are connected to the center - the brain.
Grasshoppers have two huge eyes on the top of their heads. These are compound eyes. They consist of thousands of small eyes that receive information and send it to the brain.
Although they have wings, they are not usually used for actual flight. Males are relatively shorter than females with a large ovipositor. Two pairs of valves are attached to the female's abdomen and are actually used for digging while laying eggs.
These animals can also change their color depending on their surroundings. This is especially necessary to get rid of potential predators such as frogs. Most of these species are well hidden in green fields and forests.
Main 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.
Fat Pallas
The dimensions of this species are 5 cm in females and 6 cm in males. A unique feature of the fat man is that in the process of evolution he completely forgot how to jump.
This makes it defenseless against predators and people who tirelessly conquer the insect’s habitat by plowing the land and grazing livestock.
The colors of these grasshoppers are varied, but variegated individuals are more common. They feed mainly on plant foods; in times of acute shortage, they can also devour their fellow creatures.
Keeping at home
Grasshoppers that live in mid-latitudes can also be kept indoors. Their food is ears of cereals, lettuce, pieces of fruit and berries. Small bugs and other living creatures are eaten at night, but if the individual is very hungry, hunting occurs at any time of the day.
When the time comes for females to lay eggs, they should be seated one at a time, otherwise the fight for territory can lead to cannibalism. And the males get along peacefully with each other and chatter until the fall.
The largest grasshopper in the world
When we hear “grasshopper,” a character from everyone’s favorite children’s song immediately comes to mind—a cute insect with a green body and long, jumping limbs. In fact, the grasshopper is not as harmless as it might seem at first glance. He is not averse to dining on small insects, or even even entering into a fight with a frog in order to taste the tasty delicacy. And the sizes of grasshoppers of different species differ noticeably from each other.
Ueta (from Greek - “terrible grasshopper”) is how New Zealanders call amazing insects from the order Orthoptera. The body length of some representatives of the families Rhaphidophoridae and Anostostomatidae reaches 10-20 cm, and this does not include paws and antennae! The largest grasshopper in the world weighs up to 70 grams, which is approximately equal to the weight of the sparrow we all know. It is worth noting, however, that the females of this insect are significantly inferior in size and weight to the males.
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
Greenhouse grasshoppers
They are hunchbacked and stocky. The body of greenhouse grasshoppers is shortened, but females have a long ovipositor. Representatives of the genus are also distinguished by long legs and mustaches. The latter reach 8 centimeters.
Chinese greenhouse grasshopper
A little less than 2 centimeters in length. The shortened body surrounded by long, thin legs makes the insect look like a spider.
The Chinese grasshopper is painted brown. There are dark spots. They, like the rest of the body, are covered with short, silky hairs. The insect sheds them, along with its chitinous shell, about 10 times during its life. This is a record for grasshoppers.
Far Eastern grasshopper
Included in the grasshopper species of Russia . The insect is otherwise called a cave insect, since it settles not only in greenhouses, but also in karst rock cavities.
The Far Eastern grasshopper is medium-sized, brown-gray in color. The insect is nocturnal. This distinguishes the species from most grasshoppers.
Adults
By July, the larva molts for the last time, becoming a full-fledged winged insect. On hot days, they tend to be motionless, with their forelimbs extended. This is similar to the pose of their close relative, the praying mantis. Like it, the grasshopper has grasping tentacles on the inside of its legs, but they are smaller.
Before sunset, the activity of adults increases. The grasshopper is helped to navigate in the dark by its whiskers and keen hearing. Some victims are twice the size of the hunter, but a powerful bite to the back of the head leads to the death of any of them. Even well-flying cicadas cannot escape. In areas with sandy soil there is another hearty food - khrushchi. At night, they begin to fly out en masse, and most of them, appearing on the surface, immediately turn into prey.
For some reason, only females show predatory tendencies, while males have more of a sweet tooth. Fallen berries or fruits are the main delicacy; the stronger individual does not allow competitors to eat, trying to drive them away with blows from the hind limbs. If the hunt is unsuccessful, the insect is content with plants. That is, the grasshopper is an omnivore.
Fat guy
The species is European, on the verge of extinction, included in the species of large grasshoppers . Males of the species are 8 cm long. The length of females is 6 centimeters.
The names of grasshoppers are often based on their appearance. A fat man, for example, looks plump, even fat. Due to this, the visually black-brown body of the insect appears shorter. Volume is also added by sharp keels on the sides of the grasshopper's pronotum.
Fat grasshopper
Greenhouse grasshoppers
They are hunchbacked and stocky. The body of greenhouse grasshoppers is shortened, but females have a long ovipositor. Representatives of the genus are also distinguished by long legs and mustaches. The latter reach 8 centimeters.
Dybki
There is one species in the genus. In Russia, its representatives are the largest grasshoppers. The hindquarters are green and have light stripes on the sides. The elongated body reaches a length of 15 centimeters.
Steppe rack
She's a predator. Among grasshoppers there are also herbivores. Predation does not help the steppe rack to survive. The species is considered endangered.
Steppe bucks have no males. Females use partonogenesis. Eggs are laid and develop without fertilization. Other grasshoppers are not capable of this.
Grasshoppers as a food product
Grasshoppers are a common food product in many countries around the world. They contain a lot of protein and other nutrients. For Europeans, eating insects is something repulsive and disgusting. However, many peoples of Asia and Africa enjoy this tasty and healthy food.
Grasshopper dishes:
- fried dry insects taste like peanuts,
- grasshoppers fried in oil with garlic,
- grasshopper fritters,
- marinated grasshoppers baked on skewers,
- deep-fried grasshoppers.
In order to catch a sufficient number of insects, it is enough to go out onto the green lawn with a net. The energy value of a grasshopper is about 150 kilocalories per 100 grams of product. The average protein content is higher than in meat and is 25 grams.
In the near future, grasshoppers, locusts, crickets and worms may well become a familiar and widespread product. Already, some manufacturers are adding insect flour to their products, thereby increasing their nutritional value.
Hind leg of a grasshopper
The grasshopper's hind legs are adapted for jumping, with thick thighs and long tibiae (hence why they are called jumping insects).
The legs are attached to the chest from below, usually sit in the coxal cavities and consist of a coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia and tarsus. The coxa and trochanter provide the necessary mobility to the leg. The thigh is the largest and strongest part of the leg, as it has powerful muscles. Its articulation with the lower leg is called the knee, and the part adjacent to it is called the knee. The tibia is approximately equal in length to the thigh, but thinner, equipped with spines, and spurs at the top. Jumps can reach a height of up to 80 cm, and if wings help, the distance they cover in one jump reaches 10 meters.
General information
The grasshopper belongs to the class insects, family - grasshoppers, order - orthoptera. Many species are characterized by an elongated body, a laterally compressed head, and two faceted oval eyes. Powerful jaws allow you to tear off pieces of food. Taking into account the variety, the body length is 1.4−16 cm.
Many insects have hind limbs designed for jumping. The femurs are thickened at the base, the tibiae are elongated, and there are movable “spurs” and spines. The thighs of the hind leg are connected to the lower leg "knee back", this helps grasshoppers to jump great distances. The length of the jump is often 25 times the body size. The remaining two pairs of insect limbs are of the running type.
Sensitive antennae play the role of touch; in certain subspecies they are much longer than the body. Some insects have two pairs of wings, which they use during flight, and also as protection from negative environmental factors.
In structure, grasshoppers are similar to the locust order. The main differences: female locusts do not have an ovipositor, and the insects have shorter whiskers.
The most popular species in our country is the green grasshopper. A beautiful and rather large insect lives in places with high grass. Its protective coloring makes it practically invisible - if the grasshopper stops moving and singing, it is difficult to identify. On the sides of the body there is a lighter stripe, reminiscent of a cereal stem, this perfectly camouflages the insect. The female is much larger than the male, and also has a saber-type oviposition.
The grasshopper is very shy and secretive. The disturbed insect either climbs into the thick grass, or jumps, opening its transparent wings, and flies as far as possible from its pursuer.
Devil's spiny grasshopper / Panacanthus cuspidatus
This insect with a terrifying name and appearance reaches a length of 60–70 mm.
The grasshopper's body is bright green, and each limb is covered with sharp, most often yellow, spines. In case of danger, the spiny devil rises sharply to its hind limbs, pushing its forelimbs forward. He swings them until the enemy retreats.
Despite its hostility towards enemies, it is quite peaceful and calm, feeding mainly on the seeds of flowering plants.
5
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.
What does a grasshopper eat?
For the most part, the grasshopper is a predator, mercilessly destroying clutches of insects, aphids, caterpillars, butterflies, beetles, ticks, and small locusts in its path. If you are unlucky with hunting, unpretentious insects are content with young shoots of plants. The food of some species of grasshoppers is exclusively plant-based: grasshoppers eat grass or leaves of trees (for example, birch and chestnut trees), and some of them are noted as serious agricultural pests. Unlike the same related locusts, which eat farmers' crops, grasshoppers are more beneficial. For example, they help get rid of the Colorado potato beetle, which has taken a fancy to potato fields.
In conditions of autonomous maintenance and lack of nutrients, grasshoppers have even been observed in cannibalism, that is, eating their own kind. A simple experiment showed that if you put several of these insects in a closed jar and leave them without food for a couple of days, the group will eventually suffer losses among their relatives.
It may seem surprising, but if the grasshopper does not receive its “dose” of protein and salts from ordinary food, then it does not disdain to feed on feces and carrion, and also eats its weaker relatives with appetite.
What harm do grasshoppers bring to humans?
In this matter, it is very important not to confuse the grasshopper and the locust. The latter is a dangerous pest and its massive invasion can completely destroy the beds. But the grasshoppers themselves most often act as beneficial insects.
Grasshopper: helper in the garden.
Since most of these insects are predators, they help farmers control populations of many dangerous pests, such as:
- caterpillars;
- aphid;
- Colorado potato beetles.
Curious grasshoppers
The huge number of varieties of such insects indicates their undoubted diversity. This also applies to their appearance. Mentioning different types of grasshoppers , we have already encountered very unusual ones, for example, the leaf grasshopper or the spiny devil. But there are other, no less amazing representatives of the alluring world of small creatures. They will be discussed further.
Multicolored grasshopper
Such noticeable insects, although not capable of flight and without wings at all, are found in Colombia. But nature generously enriched them with a variety of colors, which corresponds to the nature of the area where they live.
Their body is covered with patterns of blue, red, white, as well as other numerous tones and their shades, combined into intricate patterns. Moreover, the color of the members of this variety exists in many variations. There is a subspecies with individuals that have an orange-black outfit.
Pink grasshopper
Such grasshoppers really exist. But they do not belong to any species, because they are victims of a genetic mutation, one might even say a disease. With it, the production of red pigment in the insect sharply exceeds the norm.
This cannot be considered a positive change. All grasshoppers, as we have seen, strive to be invisible, but these, on the contrary, stand out. Due to this, their chances of survival are significantly reduced. Pink specimens of grasshoppers have been recorded several times in England, as well as on islands near the Australian continent.
Peacock grasshopper
However, bright colors can play into the grasshopper’s hands. Another example of this is a variety that was discovered quite recently, just over ten years ago, and found in the tropical forests of Peru. The colors of such creatures make them look like fallen leaves. But that's not all.
They have huge wings, which they spread in moments of danger, making them look like bright butterflies. But the most important thing is the pattern on the wings. Among other designs, it has circles that exactly resemble the eyes of a bird of prey, from which any enemy comparable in size to grasshoppers will run away.
The similarity is even more intensified and becomes frightening when the grasshopper begins to jump. Such dances terrify enemies, instilling the idea that an insidious pursuer is chasing them.
Grasshopper rhinoceros
Another variety, the appearance of the representatives of which exactly copies the leaf, albeit a little withered and torn, which only adds naturalness. Here all that remains is to once again admire the perfect art of nature.
And the shape of the “leaf” is realistically similar, slightly curved. And the point sticking out in front imitates a handle, but also resembles a horn. This is where the name came from. Such grasshoppers have thin and inconspicuous, but extremely long antennae.
Giant weta
The types of grasshoppers in the photo provide an opportunity to get acquainted in detail with the external appearance of these creatures. And now it’s time to introduce the largest, and also ancient, grasshopper that exists on the planet. It is a resident of New Zealand, and is found exclusively there, that is, it is considered endemic.
Such a creature has apparently lived on Earth since time immemorial, ever since giants were not at all uncommon in the world of insects. Today, such creatures, in exceptional cases, are capable of reaching sizes of 15 cm, although not all of them are this size.
The color of the giant grasshopper can be beige-brown or brown. A distinctive feature of such insects is the presence of sharp, large spines on their hind limbs. This is a weapon for protection against enemies and a good means of obtaining food.
The antiquity and preservation of this species to this day is explained by the absence on its native islands of active enemies capable of feeding on such huge insects. And therefore, until a certain point, the giant wetas lived quietly and remained untouched.
But with the development of civilization, everything changed. People brought small mammals to the islands. Some of them spread quite widely and considered giant grasshoppers quite desirable food for themselves. Therefore, the number of unique giants began to decline. It's a pity.
Habitats and diet
Orthoptera - interesting facts about habitats and diet.
Orthoptera insects can be found over a fairly wide area, from hot deserts to alpine green meadows. They are distributed across all continents except Antarctica. At the same time, grasshoppers and locusts prefer to live on plants, and mole crickets prefer to live closer to the soil.
The main part of orthopteran insects feed on plant foods. It is for this reason that locusts, mole crickets, and Siberian grasshoppers are pests of agricultural crops. When migrating, locusts destroy everything in their path and this disaster is of enormous proportions. Another representative of this order, the mole cricket, lives in the soil and feeds on root crops.
Most species of grasshoppers are predators that willingly eat both plant and animal foods: beetles, butterflies, and caterpillars.
Grasshoppers themselves serve as food for various rodents, birds and amphibians, so to survive they use mimicry methods, masquerading as environmental objects.
Basically, the breeding season for grasshoppers begins in the last month of spring, but species living in the tropics breed all year round. The larva completely replicates the body structure of an adult grasshopper in appearance and undergoes up to 6 molts during development. The larva can only get to the surface with great effort, so only one tenth of the larvae reach their goal and survive.
These insects are considered pests and eat crop plants. In Africa and China they are part of the diet.
Interesting facts about grasshoppers Natalia Nikolaevna Grigorieva GBOU School 854 (department for children with disabilities)
There are 20,000 species of grasshopper
Singing Grasshopper He sings as if he is often knocking with hammers. Therefore, his name is grasshopper. And he makes these sounds with special devices: he moves his wings, rubs them against each other, as if playing strings with a bow. This is how the song turns out.
How does a grasshopper hear? A grasshopper has a round disk on its belly - this is the organ of hearing. It contains several nerves to control air vibrations (similar to the human eardrum) - this is how an insect hears.
How a Grasshopper SeesGrasshoppers have two huge eyes on the top of their heads. These are compound eyes. They consist of thousands of small eyes that receive information and send it to the brain.
How a grasshopper moves A grasshopper can jump to a height of up to 2 meters (this is 20 times the length of its body). Insects jump from plant to plant at speeds of up to 2 km/h.
What does a grasshopper eat? Grasshoppers are carnivorous. They feed on small insects, but can also eat some fruits or flowers. Many grasshoppers are capable of not only biting small midges, but also painfully biting humans.
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