The structure of a grasshopper. The grasshopper is a green jumper. Where do grasshoppers live?

The muscular system of insects is characterized by great complexity and a high degree of differentiation and specialization of its individual elements. The number of individual muscle bundles often reaches 1.5 - 2 thousand. Skeletal muscles, which ensure the mobility of the body and its individual parts in relation to each other, are usually attached to the inner surfaces of the cuticular sclerites (tergites, sternites, walls of the limbs). According to histological structure, almost all insect muscles are striated.

Insect muscles (primarily this refers to the wing muscles of higher groups of insects: Hymenoptera, Diptera, etc.) are capable of an extraordinary frequency of contractions - up to 1000 times per second. This is due to the phenomenon of multiplication of the response to stimulation, when a muscle responds to one nerve impulse with several contractions. The richly branched network of the tracheal respiratory system supplies each muscle bundle with oxygen, which, along with a noticeable increase in the body temperature of insects during flight (due to the thermal energy released by working muscles), ensures high intensity metabolic processes occurring in muscle cells.

Grasshoppers are a large group of insects, numbering over 6,800 species. Grasshoppers make up 3 families in the order Orthoptera and are related to crickets and locusts. Some grasshoppers resemble cicadas and mantises, but they are not related to these insects.

Amblycorypha grasshopper (Amblycorypha oblongifolia) with a rare pink color.

For the most part, grasshoppers are medium-sized insects (2-4 cm in length); a number of tropical species are much larger (up to 10 cm in length). The body of grasshoppers is oblong, the head is oval with the same shaped eyes. The limbs are long (especially the hind limbs) of the jumping type with very long femurs and tibiae. The helmeted and spiny-headed grasshoppers have limbs, heads and elytra covered with sharp spines, which gives them a very menacing appearance. Unlike other orthoptera, whose antennae are shorter than the body, in grasshoppers the length of the antennae (antennae) is at least equal to the length of the body, and in some species it can be 4 times longer!

The peacock grasshopper (Pterochroza ocellata) has a body shape that resembles a fallen leaf.

The wings are thin and covered with more rigid elytra. Their shape varies greatly: for example, in species that live in grass, the elytra are often long and narrow; in forest grasshoppers, the shape of the elytra resembles leaves; there are species with reduced elytra. The species masquerading as foliage are incredibly diverse. Among them there are grasshoppers that exactly imitate succulent green leaves; there are some that even have flattened legs, which together with the body creates the impression of a whole bunch of leaves.

The Morsimus grasshopper (Morsimus sp.) from the island of Borneo copies the leaf of the plant on which it lives in the color and shape of the elytra. Even the dots on the elytra look like leaf damage.

Some grasshoppers pretend to be damaged leaves, their body is dotted with dots and spots that imitate rot and plant diseases. In some species, the edges of the elytra are uneven and asymmetrically shortened, which gives the impression of torn leaves or simply pieces of them. Finally, a row of grasshoppers with their dark brown color imitates scorched and completely rotten wings. Javanese sattrophilia imitates lichens with its lacy body coverings.

The grasshopper Typophyllum sp. imitates a piece of dried leaf.

The coloring of grasshoppers also serves as a camouflage function; a bright green color is very typical for these insects, although some species can be brown, black, or gray. Amblycorif grasshoppers, along with green and brownish colors, can also be bright pink, but such specimens are rare (1 individual out of 500). Tropical grasshoppers are so similar to plants that special eye marks appeared on their wings for identification by relatives, otherwise they would not be able to find each other. Grasshoppers have pronounced sexual dimorphism: females are larger than males and have a sickle-shaped (less often straight) ovipositor.

The grasshopper Drepanoxiphus sp. from Ecuador extends its legs along its body for camouflage.

The habitat of grasshoppers covers the whole world; they are not found only in Antarctica and in the depths of vast deserts. In general, the habitats of these insects are very diverse. In the temperate zone, grasshoppers can most often be found in meadows, steppes, forest edges, and a little less in the forest. In tropical areas, they are equally common in open spaces (savannas) and dense rain forests. A number of species live in alpine meadows in the mountains. Grasshoppers live alone and never form such clusters as locusts. Typically, these insects sit on plant stems in relative motionlessness or slowly crawl along the stems. In general, grasshoppers are sedentary and do not migrate despite their mobility. Active different species both day and night.

Despite the camouflage, there are some very colorful species among grasshoppers, like this bright blue tropical grasshopper drinking dew.

Males occupy certain areas, which they protect from neighbors, warning them by chirping that the area is already occupied. The chirping of grasshoppers is species-specific, that is, each species produces sounds of a certain frequency and modulation. Grasshoppers do not have vocal cords and they sing not with their “mouth”, but with their elytra. The fact is that the elytra of grasshoppers are slightly asymmetrical: on each elytra there is an oval window surrounded by a thick vein, only on the left elytra the window is thin, like a film, and the vein around it is also thin, and on the right elytra the window is covered with a thick film, and the vein has notches . At rest, the grasshopper always holds the left elytra on top of the right, and when it begins to move them, the notches rub against the vein of the opposite elytra and a chirping occurs, the window itself acts as a resonator and amplifies the sound many times over. As a rule, only males chirp; only in a few species can females chirp. But the hearing organs of grasshoppers are located... on their legs. The ears look like membranes or narrow slits, they internal structure very complex.

Phases of flight of a grasshopper.

Grasshoppers are careful; at the sound of footsteps, they stop chirping and freeze motionless. If the enemy approaches, then the grasshopper escapes with fast and long jumps. It pushes off with its hind legs and can jump a distance of 1-2 meters. In addition, a number of species combine jumping with flight; during a jump, the grasshopper opens its wings and flies up a short distance, but grasshoppers never use flight as an independent means of transportation. However, some species use active means of protection. For example, the peacock grasshopper, recently discovered in the forests of Guyana, shows the enemy its bright wings with eyes, and the spiny-headed grasshopper takes a fighting stance in which it very much resembles a spider.

The peacock grasshopper displays bright elytra and wings to frighten the enemy.

Among grasshoppers there are both herbivorous and predatory species. Herbivorous grasshoppers eat green parts of plants (mainly grass and leaves), while predatory grasshoppers catch small dipterous insects, butterflies and even their own relatives. It costs nothing for an adult grasshopper to feast on a larva of its own species. Some species of grasshoppers are omnivores and combine two types of food at once. Grasshoppers eat a lot, but in gluttony they are much inferior to locusts.

Ecuadorian spiny-headed grasshopper (Panacanthus cuspi) in a fighting pose representing a spider.

Reproduction in tropical species is not confined to a specific season; species in the temperate zone begin reproduction in May-June. The male attracts females by chirping, as well as... by sperm, packaged in a very special way. Males produce sperm in the form of packets called spermatophores, which consist of two parts. One part is the sperm itself, the second is a sticky nutrient. The female, receiving a spermatophore from the male, first eats the sticky part, and the sperm flows into her abdomen. This lunch can last up to 15 hours; if the female eats the first part too quickly, the sperm will not have time to flow and fertilization will not take place. Thus, males attract females not only with songs, but also with large spermatophores, which increases their chance of procreation. The exception is steppe grasshoppers; in these grasshoppers, females lay eggs without fertilization (parthenogenesis); this species has no males at all.

Male grasshopper with spermatophore.

Females lay large oval-flattened eggs, white, black, Brown. Some types of grasshoppers lay eggs on twigs and blades of grass in a line, others attach them to the edges of leaves, creating a kind of edging, while others, using an ovipositor, lay eggs directly into the soil or into plant tissue.

A female green grasshopper (Tettigonia viridissima) lays eggs in the soil.

The number of eggs varies from 70 to 900, and the laying process is extended over several hours.

Despite their rather large size, grasshopper eggs on a blade of grass are almost invisible.

Grasshoppers are insects with direct development, which means that their larvae are similar in appearance to adults and differ only in size (in other insects the difference in the structure of the imago and larvae can be enormous) and the absence of wings. An exception is some tropical grasshoppers: for example, in the Sudanese grasshopper, the larvae of the Sudanese grasshopper have a body shape that resembles... ants, in the Malayan grasshopper, they resemble jumping beetles. The larvae of the Crimean isophia can be painted in different colors depending on the substrate on which they grow. Larval growth occurs as a result of a series of successive molts. Kinds temperate zone overwinter in the egg stage.

The larva (nymph) of a grasshopper, like adult individuals, already imitates a dried leaf with its shape.

These large insects with a thick abdomen are tasty prey for many animals. In nature, grasshoppers are hunted by small rodents, carnivorous mammals(meerkats), lizards, toads, frogs, larger insects (including other grasshoppers) and numerous birds. Moreover, among birds, the enemies of grasshoppers are listed as large species(storks, ibises, herons), and small ones (kestrels, shrikes, small owls, gulls, kingfishers).

At first glance, the macroxiphus grasshopper (Macroxiphus sp.) is indistinguishable from an ant, but the long hind legs and especially the antennae indicate that it is a grasshopper and not an ant.

Some primitive tribes in Africa and Asia also eat grasshoppers, and they are a fairly common component of Chinese cuisine. Grasshoppers can harm citrus and tea plantations (in some areas), and the greenhouse grasshopper damages flowers in greenhouses (ferns, cyclamens). At the same time, a number of steppe species are listed in the Red Book. Enormous harm to these insects is caused by spring burning of dry grass and plowing of virgin soil, which destroy their eggs.

The multitubercular ball head, or steppe thickhead (Bradyporus multituberculatus) is a giant grasshopper up to 8 cm long. This species lives in the steppes of Ukraine and Ciscaucasia and is very rare everywhere.

The grasshopper is an insect of the order Orthoptera. There are about 7 thousand species of grasshoppers in the order.

These insects are distributed throughout to the globe, they are just not found in the polar regions of the Northern Hemisphere and in Antarctica. But they live in the tundra, desert, meadows, jungles, and mountains.

What does a grasshopper look like?

The color of the insect follows the basic color of the surrounding area. Therefore, it is almost impossible to determine the type of these arthropods by body color.

Even representatives of the same species can have different colors.

Some grasshoppers have a monochromatic body, while others are covered with spots and stripes. Desert inhabitants have a yellowish color, while inhabitants of taiga and tropics have green “camouflage”.

With the help of color, the insect completely blends into the landscape and becomes invisible to predators. In addition, camouflage colors help grasshoppers during hunting. Some species of grasshoppers have even acquired the ability to disguise themselves as other insects using coloring. When threatened, certain species release a liquid with a strong odor.

On average, grasshoppers have a body length of 3-4 centimeters, but some species, especially representatives South America, grow to large sizes. Grasshoppers have three pairs of legs, with their forelimbs used for calm movement, and their hind limbs used for long jumps. Sometimes the hind limbs may differ in color from the front ones.

The well-known chirping of grasshoppers is carried out using a special sound apparatus located on the elytra. On the right elytra there is a transparent thin membrane, which is surrounded by a vein, creating something like a frame.

On the left elytra there is an opaque formation with dense denticles. While “singing,” the grasshopper spreads its elytra and begins to vibrate, causing the vein with teeth to rub against the membrane frame. This produces a chirping sound.

Each species makes individual sounds. In this case, only males make chirping sounds, while females do not have a sound apparatus. Only at rare species females have such an adaptation.

The hearing aid in grasshoppers is located on the legs; it looks like membranes. This organ consists of nerve endings and sensory cells. The role of touch in grasshoppers is performed by sensitive antennae.

Insects have a large head, compressed at the sides. The grasshopper has a powerful jaw, which easily bites off food. Females have a long and narrow ovipositor at the bottom of the abdomen, which is shaped like a blade.

Grasshopper nutrition and lifestyle

The diet includes plant foods and other insects. Grasshoppers are natural hunters. They quickly grab the prey with their forelimbs and immediately eat it.

But many species of grasshoppers feed exclusively on plants. Representatives of this family cause damage to agricultural land. But when compared with the damage from other insects, it is not so significant.

In general, grasshoppers are completely harmless insects, whose chirping cannot be confused with anything.

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.

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.

Green grasshopper is beautiful large insect bright green or light green with long translucent wings. Residents of Russia are well acquainted with the green grasshopper, as it lives in almost all landscape areas of the country. Only climatic conditions northern regions are unfavorable for its existence.

The characteristic natural color serves as an excellent means of camouflage for the green grasshopper, which lives mainly in grasses and bushes. From mid-summer to late autumn it can be found in gardens, on the edges of forests, along the edges of fields and meadows. In desert areas, the green grasshopper prefers the edges of tugai forests and river valleys. IN Central Asia he climbs high into the mountains to hide in gorges with luscious herbaceous plants. This insect can also be found in many other countries: in European countries(except for the countries of Northern Europe), Mongolia, Northern India, countries of Western Asia, Afghanistan, Western China.

Description of the appearance of the insect

The body of an adult insect, like the body of a larva, has a rich green color. Only on the wings and chest there may sometimes be dark spots. Body length – 28–36 mm. The antennae are very long, bristle-like, with a reddish tint. The length of the green grasshopper's whiskers exceeds the length of the insect's body. The grasshopper has 2 pairs of wings - front and rear. The hind wings are wide, transparent, with thin veins forming an abstract geometric pattern; the front ones are denser and narrower. At rest, the hind wings are hidden under the front wings. The length of the wings exceeds the length of the insect's abdomen by almost 2 times. The head has an elongated shape. The eyes are round and protruding. The upper part of the pronotum has a convex or flat shape. The type of mouthparts is gnawing.

Females differ from males in the presence of a long saber-shaped or xiphoid ovipositor compressed from the sides. The hind limbs of males are much longer than the forelimbs. The hearing organs are oval membranes located on the shins of the forelimbs on both sides. In males, the elytra are equipped with a chirping organ, which is formed by a stridulatory part and a transparent resonating membrane (speculum).

Lifestyle

Green grasshoppers lead a solitary lifestyle. They jump and fly very well.