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Grasshopper
INSECT
Grasshopper (family Acrididae and Tettigoniidae), any of a group of jumping
insects (order Orthoptera) that are found in a variety of habitats.
Grasshoppers occur in greatest numbers in lowland tropical forests, semiarid
regions, and grasslands. They range in colour from green to olive or brown
and may have yellow or red markings.
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Meadow grasshopper (Orchelimum)
William E. Ferguson
The grasshopper senses touch through organs located in various parts of its
body, including antennae and palps on the head, cerci on the abdomen, and
receptors on the legs. Organs for taste are located in the mouth, and those for
smell are on the antennae. The grasshopper hears by means of atympanal
organ situated either at the base of the abdomen (Acrididae) or at the base of
each front tibia (Tettigoniidae). Its sense of vision is in the compound eyes,
while change in light intensity is perceived in the simple eyes (or ocelli).
Although most grasshoppers are herbivorous, only a few species are
important economically as crop pests.
Some grasshoppers are adapted to specialized habitats. The South
American Marellia remipes spends most of its life on floating vegetation and
actively swims and lays eggs on underwater aquatic plants. Grasshoppers
generally are large, with some exceeding 11 cm (4 inches) in length
(e.g., Tropidacris latriellei of South America).
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world, grasshoppers are eaten as food. They are often dried, jellied, roasted
and dipped in honey or ground into a meal. Grasshoppers are controlled in
nature by predators such as birds, frogs, and snakes. Humans use
insecticides and poison baits to control them when they become crop pests.
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MORE ABOUT grasshopper
5 REFERENCES FOUND IN BRITANNICA ARTICLES
Assorted References
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major reference (in orthopteran)
 effect on cereal crops (in cereal farming: Insects)
 mountain fauna (in mountain ecosystem: Fauna)
characteristics of
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hearing (in sound reception: Organs of sound reception in invertebrates)
mating (in reproductive behaviour (zoology): Insects)
EXTERNAL LINKS
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A-Z Animals - Grasshopper
Animal Corner - Grasshopper
BioKIDS - Kids’ Inquiry of Diverse Species - Grasshopper
Illinois College of Aces - Department of Crop Sciences - Extension and Outreach Grasshopper
Kidipede Science for Kids - Grasshopper
The People’s Backyard Nature - Grasshopper
United States Department of Agriculture - Grasshoppers: Their Biology, Identification and
Management
BRITANNICA WEB SITES
Articles from Britannica encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
grasshopper - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
Grasshoppers are leaping insects that are found all over the world. They live mostly
in forests or grasslands, but they are also common in gardens. Their brown or green
coloring helps them blend in with the plants and dirt around them. Grasshoppers are
closely related to crickets.
grasshopper - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
Grasshoppers are jumping insects that are found throughout the world, especially in
lowland tropical forests, semiarid regions, and grasslands. In certain parts of the
world, grasshoppers are eaten as food, most often dried, jellied, roasted, or ground
into a meal. Most grasshoppers are herbivorous, eating only plants. Some species
have been known to form the enormous migratory swarms that can cause
agricultural havoc, devastating crops and natural vegetation in a matter of days.
Grasshoppers belong to the insect order Orthoptera and are closely related to
crickets.
ARTICLE HISTORY