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- Air inlets
- Crushers
- Ganglion
- Multiple Visual sensors
- Muscles
- Pincers
- Sensory receptors
- Stridulatory pegs
- Wings
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A grasshopper is an insect that lives in and feeds on grass and
other plants. Using huge hind legs, the grasshopper makes gigantic leaps into the air. After its
spring-assisted takeoff, it can unfurl its two pairs of wings and continue flying with them.
Like all insects, the grasshopper has six legs. The two rear legs are
specialized and strengthened for jumping, while the front two pairs are
used only for walking on the ground. The grasshopper's head has two
antennae that are able to feel and smell what is nearby. It also has two
compound eyes that are made up of hundreds of individual eyelets. Each eyelet,
called an ommatidium, has its own lens and light-sensitive cells, and together
they provide an overall picture of a wide area surrounding the grasshopper.
The mouthparts are a set of movable jaws that let the grasshopper chomp its way through grass blades.
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More About Grasshoppers:
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Air inlets
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Air inlets, also known as spiracles.
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Crushers
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For chewing food a grasshopper uses it's jaw parts, called mandibles.
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Ganglion
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One of several minicomputers used for gathering information.
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Multiple Visual sensors
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A real grasshopper has two compound eyes that are made up of hundreds
of individual eyelets. Each eyelet, called an ommatidium, has its own lens
and light-senitive cells. Together, they provide an overall picture of a
wide area surrounding the grasshopper. |
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Muscles
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Massive springs used to launch the insect in a jump.
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Pincers
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The pincers hold food - in a real grasshopper these jaw parts are
called maxilla.
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Sensory receptors
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The sensory receptors, or antennae, detect nearby objects by touch and
also have scent receptors to provide additional information.
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Stridulatory pegs
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Stridulatory pegs are the ridges found on male grasshoppers, used for
making the familiar chirping noise.
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Wings
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These flight enablers unfurl after a jump to let the grasshopper sail
through the air.
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Grasshopper Facts:
Country: Worldwide
Habitat: meadows, fields, and hedges
Length: up to 3 in. (8cm) but mostly 5/8 -1 1/8 in. (15-30 mm)
Weight: almost nothing
Closest relative: walkingstick and cricket
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Choose another animal:
 Chameleon |
Squid |
Bat |
Fly |
Platypus |
Rhino
Special thanks to B.J. Heinley and Brian
Buschmann.
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