What are grasshoppers?
Grasshoppers are jumping insects belonging to the family Orthoptera. There are around 11 species of grasshopper in the UK.
How high can grasshoppers jump?
The height of jump depends on the grasshopper species, but there are some reports that suggest they can jump up to an amazing 80cm
Where do grasshoppers live?
Grasshoppers can be found across the British Isles but their preference for hot, dry weather means they are more widespread and plentiful in southern Britain and favour grassy places.
What do grasshoppers eat?
Grasshoppers are herbivorous
How do you tell the difference between grasshoppers and crickets?
Appearance offers big clues: grasshoppers are sausage-shaped, with short antennae, while crickets come in different shapes and sizes but always have long, thread-like antennae. Grasshoppers are active during the middle of the day and crickets remain active into twilight.
What is the lifecycle of a grasshopper?
Grasshopper larvae – known as nymphs – hatch in the spring from eggs laid the previous summer by the females in damp substrate. After hatching, a nymph grows by shedding its hard exoskeleton several times (up to 10 times for crickets, typically five times for grasshoppers). Upon reaching adulthood, it may live for two months, mating and laying eggs before dying off in the autumn.
How grasshoppers sing?
Grasshoppers create the sound by rubbing their hindlegs against their wings. The large marsh grasshopper is unusual in that it stridulates by hitting, rather than rubbing, one hind leg against the tip of its forewing.
A common green grasshopper sings to impress a female:
Please note that external videos may contain ads
Which are the rarest and most common grasshoppers in the UK?
The common field grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus) and common green grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus) are some of our most common and abundant grasshoppers, while the large marsh grasshopper (Stethophyma grossum) is the rarest.
Main image: a common field grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus) perching on a twig in a meadow. © Getty
Q&A written by Jo Caird; synchrony question by Laurie Jackson
