Fun Grasshopper Facts For Kids

Ever seen horned grasshoppers flying around open spaces?  The most common is the green-colored grasshoppers belonging to the suborder caelifera. But there are several species of grasshoppers like the pink grasshopper, black grasshopper, rainbow grasshopper, brown grasshopper, glided grasshopper and blue grasshopper. A comparison is usually struck between a locust and a grasshopper, but both belong to the same species. Many countries spot a giant grasshopper or locust family swarming over croplands. These little six-legged insects with five eyes and two pairs of wings are unique and are found all across the world. The tiny grasshoppers symbolize fertility, prosperity, and good luck in many countries and are welcomed by all. But pesticides on farmlands are used to keep locust attacks at bay.

Here are some interesting grasshopper facts for kids to enjoy reading.

You can also check out fun facts about the honey bee and the common wasp.

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What type of animal is a grasshopper?

A grasshopper is an insect capable of flying with two pairs of wings over long distances and jumping high.

What class of animal does a grasshopper belong to?

Grasshoppers belong to the class of Insecta, or insects, and belong to the largest phylum arthropods.

How many grasshoppers are there in the world?

There is an uncountable number of grasshoppers in the world. As per records, there are 11,000 species of grasshoppers. One can find few grasshoppers or a full swarm wandering around in open areas.

Where does a grasshopper live?

Grasshoppers are commonly found over an expanse of open lands like deserts, woods, shrublands, agricultural lands, tropical forests or savanna grasslands. Adapting to a variety of locations, different species of grasshoppers are found to live in different places.

What is a grasshopper's habitat?

Grasshoppers usually prefer a mildly warmer environment in areas having plenty of plant food supply.  In temperate regions, they are found flying mostly during the springtime. While in tropical and sub-tropical regions, grasshoppers are a common occurrence all throughout the year, except winters. A grasshopper's habitat consists of open space with plenty of medium-sized shrublands, bushes, or farm fields. They hide in the long grasses from predators and also obtain food from here. Apart from their regular habitat, grasshoppers, like locusts, form a swarm of millions of other locusts and often migrate to long distances in search of food. They can cause havoc to the cultivated crops and are hard to stop.

Who do grasshoppers live with?

Generally, grasshoppers are solitary insects. When found in pairs, it means they are about to mate. Sometimes short-horned grasshoppers or locusts form a huge swarm and migrate across countries for food.

How long does a grasshopper live?

A grasshopper lives up to a year if it is not hunted down by its predators. Within this time they complete their entire life cycle from birth to the embryo stage to nymph stage and finally as a full-grown adult. The majority of their life cycle is spent as nymphs, so an adult grasshopper only gets 30 days to live. Hence, 50% of the population dies prematurely.

How do they reproduce?

The mating season starts during the autumn season when pairs of grasshoppers are seen flying around. Both the male and female copulate wherein the male ejects sperm into the female's vagina. After which, the sperm cells pass through a canal-like organ called the micropyle. Thereafter, it fertilizes the egg cells of the female, which carries the eggs for a week or two. Soon after which, using its back legs and ovipositor (long and sharp female organ, capable of digging holes and laying eggs in the ground), it lay eggs on the soft earth surface. The mother grasshopper covers her eggs in pods with earth, litter, and a sticky glue-like substance. Each pod has 15 to 150 eggs. By the beginning of the following summer season, new ones hatch out from the eggs and remain as embryos in the sticky pods. Thereafter, they shed their exoskeleton and take off for their first jump and flight.

What is their conservation status?

The grasshoppers are a species of Least Concern in the IUCN Red List. There are over 11,000 grasshopper species, with each having a population exceeding millions. This small green jumping and flying insect can adjust to a variety of habitats and are not threatened by climate change. Their existence precedes that of dinosaurs and is known to exist since 252 Ma. When threatened, using their hind legs they gather all the potential energy and take a high leap before flying. Since grasshoppers are considered as pests damaging crops, humans are concerned by their free movement and existence by spraying insecticides, which considerably reduces their population.

What do grasshoppers look like?

Grasshoppers are a funny looking insect which is mostly bright green in color having scaly skin. The body of the grasshopper has three sections: head, thorax, and abdomen. An interesting grasshopper fact is that it has six legs and two pairs of wings. They have five eyes, one on either side of their head and three on their antennae. They have a pair of antennae which can sometimes be longer than their body. Their hind legs are very long which enables them to jump as high and far as 20 yards, helping them to be safe from their predators. The green color helps them to hide among plants while the locusts can change their body color into pale yellow or brownish-grey.

How cute are they?

Grasshoppers are a cute and funny insect species with big legs, protruding side eyes, and a tiny body. They look cute while jumping and flying and the sound they make is not noisy but cute.

How do they communicate?

The grasshoppers being an insect species cannot speak verbally. But they communicate visually and acoustically. Grasshoppers are able to emit sounds by vibrating their bodies against their front wings. The males make this sound while trying to attract females for mating. They communicate by flapping against their hind wings and rubbing their wings on leaves.

How big is a grasshopper?

Grasshoppers are only 1 to 7 cm in size. They are eight times bigger than a housefly and 15 times bigger than an ant.

How high can grasshoppers jump?

A grasshopper can jump very high above the ground. They first store potential energy in their hind legs and then take off to jump as high as 10 to 20 times the size of their own body. However small in size, the grasshoppers can jump up to 1 to 1.5 m above the ground. They jump to escape from predators like birds and reptiles or to take flight for moving around here and there.

How much does a grasshopper weigh?

Grasshoppers are extremely light-weight, weighing less than 1g (0.01oz)

What are their male and female names of the species?

Male and female grasshoppers do not have separate names.

What would you call a baby grasshopper?

A baby grasshopper is called a nymph.

What do they eat?

Grasshoppers have a herbivorous eating pattern. They feed on plants, cereal crops, and other plant-based food. Before choosing its choice of food, a grasshopper uses its legs, both hind legs and forelegs, to jump and then takes a flight to search. The grasshopper suborder caelifera has another species of short-horned grasshoppers, popularly known as the locusts. They assemble together in a massive swarm and migrate to other places due to a shortage of food. These insects land on the plants or crops of countries far away and can destroy many crop fields within half a day.  

Are they dangerous?

Grasshoppers are not at all dangerous to humans. But grasshoppers do spit out toxins as a form of defense, using their antennae which may prick humans and make the skin feel itchy or irritated. Giant grasshoppers or locusts are harmful to the human-grown crops as a flying grasshopper travels over long distances for attacking the plants as its prey.

Would they make a good pet?

A grasshopper is very small and it is very difficult to capture them for petting. If one is successful then the grasshopper can be kept inside a glass jar with holes for ventilation. But it is best to let the grasshoppers live in the wild as habitat manipulation can reduce their lifespan. However, in some places, several species of grasshoppers are petted for conservation and studying their unknown facts.

Did you know...

Males are shorter than female grasshoppers.

Grasshoppers serve as protein-rich food in Indonesia, China, and other places.

Ears of grasshoppers are attached to their abdomen.

A grasshopper life cycle undergoes an incomplete metamorphosis from being an egg to nymph to an adult.

Grasshoppers are diurnal animals who need sunlight for keeping themselves warm.

What does it mean when you see a grasshopper?

Good luck and prosperity are the common grasshopper symbolism. The grasshopper spiritual meaning is that it ushers fertility symbolic of the fertile agricultural fields. In Greek mythology, grasshoppers symbolise immortality.

How to draw a grasshopper?

Start the grasshopper drawing by an oval-shaped outline showing its body and abdomen, followed by the grasshopper wings and legs. The length of the grasshopper should be within 2 cm and its antennae should be longer in length than the entire body. Finish it off by making eyes and finally turn it into a green grasshopper, as it is the most common color.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other arthropods including the Mexican red-knee tarantula and the giant African millipede.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our grasshopper coloring pages.