Kids Information on Grasshoppers

A grasshopper is a brown or green insect that lives all over the U.S. You can catch grasshoppers by using an insect net or glass jar. That way you can closely observe how they behave and what they look like.

Significance

Birds, lizards, mice, rats and other insects eat grasshoppers. Large numbers of grasshoppers can destroy a farm's crops.

Diet

Grasshoppers dine on a variety of plants and grasses. You generally find them in places with lots of vegetation during the spring and summer.

Physical Characteristics

Baby grasshoppers do not have wings until they mature. Adult grasshoppers have large hind legs that help them jump. Adults also have protruding eyes and two pairs of wings.

Molting

When a grasshopper prepares to molt its skin, it stops eating and does not move around very much.

Breeding

After a female grasshopper mates, she digs a hole and lays her eggs in the soil in clusters.

Defensive Behavior

According to The University of Arizona, some species of grasshoppers will spit a dark colored liquid when they are held by humans.

References

• The University of Arizona: Grasshopper Information