Grasshoppers are hexapods belonging to the order Orthoptera. They share a series of characteristics with other groups of insects as we can see in the Types of insects article on our site. However, they can be differentiated from other hexapods by their cephalic capsule This is hypognathous since it is perpendicular to the axis of the body and is adapted to the type of feeding of the grasshopper.
If you want to know what grasshoppers eat, you may find this article on our site very interesting. Do not miss it!
Grasshopper mouthparts
Grasshoppers have a chewing mouthpart that changes slightly depending on the type of diet. Said oral apparatus consists of mandibular, maxillary and lip structures, involved in the feeding of grasshoppers. This can be carnivorous, although most grasshoppers are phytophagous, basing their diet mainly on vegetable matter, which can cause damage to crops on some occasions.
In the following sections, we will learn about two types of grasshoppers and what they eat. These are the green grasshopper and the brown grasshopper, also known as the giant grasshopper or locust.
To learn more about grasshoppers, we advise you to read this other article on Characteristics of insects.
Differences between brown and green grasshoppers
Both have a very similar structure, although, given their different way of life, some morphological differences can be distinguished between the brown grasshopper or lobster and the typical green grasshopper that we are used to seeing in nature.
Brown Grasshopper
The well-known locusts are a type of grasshopper that are characterized by their gregarious behavior They gather in masses capable of traveling great distances in searching for food, therefore, they have developed longer and more resistant structures that allow these migrations, such as wingsAs for their coloration, there are species that have adopted these brown tones as a way of adapting to the environment, as is the case with the majority of grasshoppers belonging to the panphagid family. These experience a reduction or loss of their wings making them more vulnerable to predators because they cannot fly and flee, therefore, they have these brown tones as a way of camouflage between the leaves or the ground.
Green Grasshopper
The green grasshopper is usually solitary, found mainly in vegetation and traveling short distances to feed. To do this, they have powerful jumping hind legs which they can also use to quickly flee from predators if threatened.
If in addition to these characteristics of grasshoppers you are curious about how grasshoppers breathe, don't miss this other article on our site about Where and how do insects breathe?
Feeding for brown and green grasshoppers
Grasshoppers have taste buds on their antennae, with which they receive information about the quality of the food before it is brought to the mouth and crushed with their strong jaws. In general, they are phytophagous animals, since they consume a large amount of plant matter, such as certain leaves, grass and/or fruits. However, it should be noted that there are also species that feed on other small animals such as some mosquitoes. In this section, we will be able to learn more precisely about the feeding of brown (lobster) and green grasshoppers
What do brown grasshoppers eat?
These are basically herbivores, as they are grouped into huge pests capable of destroying more than 100,000 tons of plants daily. They are impressively voracious from the moment they are born until they die and can cause economic damage, since some losses have already been verified in crops of peanut, soybean and corn, among others, due to its large diet.
In short, they are animals capable of feeding on hundreds of different plant species, since they need to consume the equivalent of their body weight. This is the case, for example, of the lobster genus Schistocerca.
What do green grasshoppers eat?
Green grasshoppers can also consume large amounts of plant material, such as different species of plants, fruits or herbs However, within this group, you can also find a set of species predatory or omnivorous This is the case of some grasshoppers of the family Tettigoniidae.
An example is the common green grasshopper (Tettigonia viridissima), whose diet is based on other animals, such as small insects (caterpillars, flies, mosquitoes, larvae, etc.).
Do grasshoppers drink water?
In nature, like other herbivorous insects, grasshoppers get the water they need a from the food itself, such as grass. Being animals that consume vegetables in large quantities, they are always usually sufficiently hydrated. However, as expected, they will receive more water supply if they consume grass or wetter leaves where there is a higher concentration of water.
Therefore, it would not be unusual to see grasshoppers near leaves where the humidity of the air condenses in the form of drops (dew), which can be used by the animal.
Now that you know what grasshoppers eat, you may be interested in this other article on our site about 10 rarest insects in the world.
