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t
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G Know a
GRASS
G
rasshoppers can be found almost anywhere—
caves, deserts, meadows, mountains, and
wetlands. The more than 10,000 known species
bouncing across the globe can be divided into
two major types, long-horned (shown above) and
short-horned.
The “horn” refers to the antennae. A long-horned
adult
o
75
n a ture
CatCh one if
you Can!
(then release it back
into the wild.)
HOPPER
grasshopper’s antennae are usually longer
than its body.
Most grasshopper species lay their eggs in
autumn to hatch in the spring. The eggs are laid
in clusters, usually in the soil, and are often
protected by a froth that is emitted by the mother.
When an egg hatches, a nymph emerges. As it grows, a
nymph goes through several stages called instars. At the
end of each instar, it sheds its skin.
When it finally emerges as an adult, a grasshopper is
usually ½ inch to 5 inches long, depending on the species.
Most are green or brown, but they can also be red, yellow,
black, gray, or blue, in various patterns. Some change color
during the seasons. The life span of most grasshoppers
is 3 to 5 months.
nymph
o
n
Co
ti n ue
eggs
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76
A grAsshopper hAs . . .
three main body parts: q
head thorax
abdomen
six legs
five eyes: two compound eyes,
each containing many
lenses, and three
simple eyes
called ocelli,
one near each
antenna and
one in between
two ears:
A long-horned grasshopper’s ears are on its front legs;
a short-horned grasshopper has an ear on each side of its abdomen.
wings: two pairs, in most cases. A few flightless species have short, stubby wings
or none at all. Hard forewings protect the fragile hind wings while folded. Many
grasshoppers rub or clap their wings together or against other body parts, such as
their legs, to make sounds.
Grasshoppers, depending on the species, eat grasses, grains, or other vegetation,
including weeds or plants that are poisonous to cattle. A few eat other insects.
Occasionally, hoppers eat paint, caulking, or the mesh in a window screen.
It Spits !
q To protect themselves from predators
such as birds, rodents, and other insects,
some grasshoppers spit a brown liquid
nicknamed “tobacco juice” that startles
the attacker and gives the hopper time
to escape.
Others scare away predators by
exposing bright colors on their hind
wings or sides or hide by mimicking
bark or dead leaves. Some species
store toxic chemicals that make them
taste awful.
many people, especially
those of Finnish descent,
celebrate March 16 as
St. Urho’s Day. Legend
has it that Urho drove
grasshoppers out of the
vineyards of ancient Finland.
Festivities include parades and potluck meals, and
celebrants wear purple and green, despite the fact that
32 species of grasshopper continue to thrive in Finland.
Q
q What goes into
Grasshopper Pie?
q
A
Not iNsects!
Mint, marshmallow,
and whipped cream.
Learn how to make one
at Almanac4kids.com
/GrasshopperPie.
Do You Know Any . . .
KooKy
Katydids?
some scientists classify
katydids as a type of
long-horned grasshopper.
Most of the approximately
6,000 species live in the
tropics. They are named
after one species that
repeatedly calls out “Katy
did, Katy didn’t” each evening. They could have been named
“copy Katys” for their ability to blend in with leaves or twigs and mimic
other insects, such as moths or wasps.
When katydids begin to sing, it’s said that there are
only 6 more weeks of summer.
tinueD
Con
n a ture
Saved by
St. Urho?
77
78
Locusts?
LoCo
loCusts like to be alone, but
with the right combination of
rain, vegetation, and timing, these
short-horned grasshoppers will
breed in high numbers, forming
a plague, or swarm.
Kansas was nicknamed the
Grasshopper State after a plague
of Rocky Mountain locusts
attacked the area in 1874. The
Kansas State Historical Society
reports that during this time, the
insects ate the wool off sheep,
the clothing off people, and the
wooden handles off tools.
Scientists use satellites to monitor weather patterns
and plants to help predict locust outbreaks, especially those of the
destructive desert locust in Africa and Asia.
ComebaCK
Cicadas?
CiCadas, often mistaken for
locusts, are not grasshoppers.
Some cicadas are periodical:
They tend to mature together.
For example, once every 17
years, thousands of cicada
nymphs of a certain brood
emerge from the ground and
climb trees and shrubs to molt into adults. Sometimes the shed skin of
a cicada nymph can be found clinging to a tree trunk.
dog-day cicadas emerge annually. males sing during the dog days of
summer (July 3 to august 11), which, according to folklore, are the hottest and
most unhealthy days of the year (see article, p. 35). it is said that dry weather
will follow their first song and frost will occur 6 weeks later.