FaunaHub

Grasshopper (suborder Caelifera)

InvertebrateInsectHerbivore

A colourful grasshopper showing its long hind legs.

A grasshopper (Caelifera) — Chocó grasshopper, Opaon varicolor.

Image: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Overview

Grasshoppers (suborder Caelifera) are plant-eating insects best known for two things: their powerful hind legs, which launch them in long jumps, and the chirping “songs” many produce on warm days. They have short antennae (unlike their long-antennaed cricket and katydid relatives) and most have wings as adults, so they can fly as well as leap.

Grasshoppers are abundant in grasslands and other open habitats, where they are both important plant-eaters and a major food source for birds, reptiles, and other animals.

Note: the group is large and varied; some grasshoppers can, under certain conditions, change form and swarm as locusts. Treat general statements as approximate and verify against authoritative sources.

Habitat & Range

Grasshoppers live across most of the world in grasslands, meadows, scrub, farmland, and other open, sunny habitats with plenty of plants. They are most active in warm weather, basking to raise their body temperature before becoming fully active.

Diet

Grasshoppers are herbivores, feeding mainly on grasses and other plants. Some are generalists that eat many plant types, while others specialise. Where they become very abundant — especially the swarming locust forms — their feeding can have a major impact on vegetation and crops.

Behavior

The grasshopper's signature move is the jump: large, muscular hind legs store and release energy to fling the insect many times its own body length, often followed by a burst of flight. Many males “sing” by rubbing a hind leg against a wing (stridulation) to attract mates. Grasshoppers grow through gradual metamorphosis, hatching as wingless nymphs that resemble small adults and developing wings as they moult.

Human Interaction & Conservation

Grasshoppers are a natural part of grassland food webs and are eaten as food by people in many cultures. Most are harmless, but some species can become serious agricultural pests, and the swarming locust phases of certain grasshoppers have historically caused devastating crop losses. Consult authoritative sources for specific species and regional context.

More photos of the grasshopper

A grasshopper camouflaged among dry leaves.

A camouflaged grasshopper.

Image: Kambai Akau, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently Asked Questions — Grasshopper

What's the difference between a grasshopper and a cricket?
Both are jumping insects, but grasshoppers (suborder Caelifera) typically have short antennae and are active by day, while crickets and katydids (suborder Ensifera) have long, thread-like antennae and many are active at night. They also make sound in different ways.
How do grasshoppers jump so far?
Their large hind legs work like a spring: the insect slowly builds up tension in leg muscles and structures, then releases it all at once, catapulting itself many times its body length. Many grasshoppers add a burst of flight to extend the leap.
Are grasshoppers and locusts the same thing?
Locusts are certain grasshopper species that can change their behaviour and appearance under crowded conditions and form migrating swarms. So a locust is a kind of grasshopper in a special "swarming" phase; most grasshoppers, however, never swarm.
How do grasshoppers make their chirping sound?
Many male grasshoppers sing by stridulation — rubbing a row of tiny pegs on the hind leg against a hardened edge of the wing — to attract females and signal to rivals. Different species produce different songs.

Sources and further reading

Authoritative wildlife references used for general educational context. Conservation status should always be verified against current IUCN Red List data. External links open in a new tab.