#grasshopper biology

[taxonomytournament]

Taxonomy Tournament: Insects

Phasmatodea. This order is made up of insects that mimic plants. Members include stick insects and leaf-bugs

Orthoptera. This order has elongated hindlegs adapted for jumping. Members include grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids.

[hawkpartys]

Valley Grasshopper (Oedaleonotus enigma)

[todaysbug]

February 9th, 2024

Painted Grasshopper (Poekilocerus pictus)

Distribution: Found in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and the Maldives.

Habitat: Show a preference for dry regions.

Diet: Adults and nymphs most often feed on milkweeds of the genus Calotropis, especially C. gigantea and C. procera. In absence of their preferred food sources, they will feed on a wide range of other plants, including agricultural crops such as wheat, papaya, citrus, castor, eggplant and mango. They will occasionally resort to cannibalism if they're starving.

Description: The painted grasshopper's most well-known trait is their toxicity, which stems from their diet of toxic milkweed sap, the toxins in which are classified as cardiac glycosides and have historically been used in the creation of poison arrows. Nymphs in particular also have the ability to spray noxious liquid when they're grabbed, to a distance of up to 30 centimetres; when any pressure is put on their head of abdomen, a jet of the viscous, milky liquid is aimed towards the sources of the pressure, with both an unpleasant smell and taste as well as a dose of cardiac glycosides. Adults can also discharge this liquid, though instead of emitting a jet, it comes out as a viscous foam leaking out of the sides of their bodies.

This species is often kept as a laboratory animal in India, as they serve as a great model for the observation of spermatogenesis through meiosis. Their cells also contain a chromosomal repair mechanism that counteracts the effects of mutagens during meiosis, prompting research on the enzymes and mechanisms involved in this process.

Images by Haneesh K.M. (adult) and Rohitansh Upadhyay (nymph).

[artastic-friend]

Grasshoppers today!! Just for fun!

This first one is a Trimerotropis fontana! Also known as a Fontana Grasshopper!

I love their blue legs!!!

This next one I am unsure of the species, but I know it's definitely in the Acrididae family of short-horned grasshoppers!

If anyone is a grasshopper expert, let me know what you believe this guy is! Found both of these in Southern Oregon, USA

Will update this post with the species of the second one after I consult my professor about it (he specializes in grasshoppers). Unless of course he is unsure as well. But I doubt it because that’s literally all he does in his free time lmao

I love all these pictures btw bc it’s like:

“​get grabbed, bitch” /j

Update! My professor said the second hopper is likely a Complex Melanoplus sanguinipes however he said it is hard to be 100% sure based off just the pictures since it is more difficult to identify the females (that one is a female)

[markuami]

My latest obsession iiiss…

Katydids!!!!!

So I’ve been on almost an year long obsession with these creatures because I love them oh so much and I don’t even fucking know where it came from I just decided one day to like em. Since no one wants to hear me screech about them I shall scream it to you.

They are not grasshoppers!

Yes they’re related but they are known as bush crickets(despite them not being crickets just also related).

How to tell the differences between Katydids, Grasshoppers and Crickets

Grasshopper

Grasshoppers antenas are short and thick. I usually tell the difference between them and katydids through their head and wing shape. Grasshoppers tend to have big eyes. They can also..fly.

They can be found during the day. And well— in g r a s s.

Crickets

Crickets are typically smaller, have longer antenas and darker complexion.

They are mostly exclusively nocturnal and can be found in crevices.

Katydid

Katydids are usually GREEN and their ANTENAS are LONGER and THINNER than their BODIES. Their WINGS are HELD VERTICALLY over their BODY.

Most species are just very very green and look like leaves which make them very identifiable.

KATYDID FACTS.

Some species of katydid make noises to show annoyance or when they’re mad.

Some places prohibit the ownership of katydids simply because of how heckin LOUD they can be.

They’re mostly herbivores but some species are known to eat other insects or smaller reptiles liek lizards,snakes,etc.

There are over 6,000 species of katydid and they are found in every continent except Antarctica.

Some species can bite, through skin.

The biggest katydid is the giant Malaysian katydid. Reaching up to 6-10 inches long.

Katydid make amazing pets and easy to take care of.

Their songs have been reported to be 110 decibels. While the cicada is allegedly ranges from 90-107 decibels.

Species

(Dragon-headed katydid)

In my personal observation, these tend to be the ones with most personalities also they bite. They are endangered :^(

(Red eyed devil Katydid)

These creepy motherfuckers are carnivorous and enjoy snacking on insects and smaller animals. It assumes this silly position whenever it feels threatened and they’re is ready to BRAWL! (Or when it’s trying to mate with a female )

(Malaysian giant katydid)

This boys just be big. No business being that large, they’re carnivorous but pretty gentle giants.

Genetics

Pink is actually their dominant color!

Recently, researchers discovered that pink is actually caused by a dominant gene, and green is a recessive trait: when pink and green individuals interbreed, at least 50 percent of their offspring are pink. Yet the majority of individuals in this species are expressing the recessive, green trait. Apparently, the green individuals predominate in most places because their camouflage works much better, and there are no pink individuals nearby with which to breed.

Conclusion

Katydids are awesome bugs and because I like em so should you and if you don’t I’ll cry :^(

[wfxue]

20240309_F0001: Look what I found, a grasshopper by Wei-Feng Xue Via Flickr: - From a trip to the Lake District over #10YearsAgo. Here I found a really nice looking grasshopper amongst the rocks.

[rununcal]

My advice to everyone who sees a fat ass stink beetle is pick it up. I picked up three over the course of a few hours on my trip and then held them between their abdomen and thorax and they all didn’t care that much. They also didn’t do their namesake. The first one just kind of stood there, the second one actually pushed itself out of my grasp, and the third one tried walking on the air away from me. I’d generally say that, the bigger the bug the lesser fucks it will give. Think robber fly or giant millipede. If I get stinked in the near future that’s on me also probably don’t listen to this advice I just don’t see fat ass beetles often.

[todaysbug]

January 18th, 2023

American Grasshopper (Schistocerca americana)

Distribution: Found in eastern North America, Mexico and the Bahamas, as far north as Iowa and Pennsylvania.

Habitat: Prefer dry, open habitats with an abundance of grass and low plants. Occasionally found in forests, jungles and agricultural fields.

Diet: Adults and nymphs are herbivorous, feeding mainly on leaves, but also on plant stems and flowers. Known to feed on citrus trees, cotton, corn, oat, peanut, rye, sugarcane, tobacco, vegetable crops, ornamental plants and many types of grasses. They may also attempt to chew on window screens.

Description: American grasshoppers are often considered minor agricultural pests, especially in Florida, where masses of grasshoppers occasionally defoliate citrus trees.

The appearance of nymphs has a tendency to vary depending on the temperature during their development. Redder shades are more common at low temperatures, while warmer temperatures yield colors like yellow and green. The density of nymphs in a space also affects color, with nymphs in crowded spaces having more black spotting.

Images by John L. Capinera (adult) and Lyle J. Buss (nymph)

[elfpylon]

bug

(Romalea microptera)

[doctorjunoo]

I need to make ocs

I love when arthropods have a pseudopupil. It's so whimsical and cute, and they come in so many varieties!!

little kitty cat eyes!!!

bombastic side eyes!!!!

cartoon character eyes!!!!

bigass anime eyes!!!!!

BE NOT AFRAID eyes!!!!!

[raspberrymoonx]

my bio professor, in a convoluted roundabout way, basically just said Brad Pitt looks like a grasshopper

[wfxue]

20240310_F0001: Grasshopper between rocks by Wei-Feng Xue Via Flickr: - From a trip to the Lake District over #10YearsAgo. This is a nice looking grasshopper climbing some rocky paths.

[marshadowstea]

i went on this and i got the grasshopper :D im scared of bugs but i like them a lot because they’re so pretty 🫶

The Bug Carousel at the Bronx Zoo has all your favorite insects: a long-legged praying mantis, a bright green grasshopper, ladybugs, caterpillars, and even a dung beetle. (Photos by Jean Bennett)

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Grote's Bertholdia Moth: when bats are detected nearby, these moths emit a rapid series of ultrasonic clicks that act as a "jammer," interfering with the bat's sonar signals so that the moth can avoid detection

The Grote's bertholdia moth (B. trigona) is capable of emitting about 4,500 ultrasonic "clicks" per second. While there are other types of moths that use ultrasonic signals (in various ways) to avoid being preyed upon by bats, none of them have a more rapid-fire pace than this species.

The barrage of signals provides the moth with a way to remain hidden, because it interferes with the echolocation that bats use to navigate and locate prey.

As this article from Smithsonian explains:

... when approached by the bats, the moths produced their own ultrasonic clicking sounds at a rate of 4,500 times per second, blanketing the surrounding environment and cloaking themselves from sonar detection.

This article also expands upon the use of ultrasonic signals among moths:

Like other nocturnal insects, moths need to contend with bats. Unlike grasshoppers or beetles, they have soft bodies without spines or hard cuticles to protect them. Yet bats’ reliance on echolocation has given moths a way to avoid ending up as food: by tapping into their predators’ acoustic signals. Many have evolved ears that can hear the calls of bats. Some moths make ultrasonic squeaks, chirps, or clicks to warn their predators (honestly or not) that they are poisonous. Others generate near-constant, ultrasonic buzzes capable of jamming bat sonar. 

Sources & More Info:

Smithsonian Magazine: How One Moth Species Can Jam Bats' Sonar Systems

The Scientist: Many Moths Speak Up to Ward Off Bats

Science.org: Moths Block Bats' Sonar

PubMed: High Duty Cycle Moth Sounds Jam Bat Echolocation

Journal of Theoretical Biology: Neural Representation of Bat Predation Risk and Evasive Flight in Moths

[craftingcreatures]

Alright, so I was thinking about Hammerheaded Bats (Hypsignathus monstrosa), as one does, and I just... have questions.

Obviously these things are absolutely ludicrous. The deranged-looking eyes, the goblin-esque ears, the lips that look like they got slammed in a car door a few too many times. And, of course, the gloriously fearsome schnozz. As far as creatures go this is one of the creaturey-est. 10/10. Brilliant design.

It gets better, as biology usually does. These bats are large, with a wingspan of almost a meter. Males and females display some rather extreme sexual dimorphism - the males are twice as heavy as the females, and it is only they which possess the extravagant nasal anatomy. That nose is an amplifying chamber, allowing the males to honk at their lady loves with a noise rather like a duck's quack played over a squeaky fence gate. Hammerheaded bats are the only bat species known to mate in a lekking system, in which the males all come together in one place to compete for the females' affections against each other. The males with the loudest, most obnoxious honks are the most desirable to the females.

Hammerheaded bats are one of a very few mammals known to have an XO sex determination system (For reference, humans have an XY system). This means that female bats, like humans, have two X chromosomes, but males do not have a Y-chromosome; instead, they have one X chromosome and that's it. This kind of chromosomal sex-determination is more often seen in insects like grasshoppers.

All of this is good. I love me some weird animals, and Hammerhead bats are no slouches when it comes to weirdness. But, fellas, we've only just scratched the surface when it comes to the weirdness of bat. And I do mean the surface, because the real weirdness is inside.

...

OK so there's a lot to unpack here.

First off, the larynx. It's obscenely large, three times larger in males than in females. It's half the length of the entire spinal column. It's so big that it smooshes all of the internal organs - you know, important things like the heart and lungs - all the way down into the lower abdomen. AND it's connected to air sacs in the throat that amplify the honks even further.

Like. I know why these bats are like this. I know why their honk-producing apparatus is so over-engineered and dominant that there's barely any room for anything else. Biology will do crazy things in pursuit of reproductive success. But like... they still have to live. These are bats. They're endothermic and they fly. Their oxygen consumption is through the roof. HOW do they get away with squishing their heart and lungs that much?! Is there some kind of pocket dimension where the rest of their lungs are stored?! Sir, how do you breathe?!

In conclusion, Hammerhead bats break my brain and I want to know everything about them. I love living on this planet - there's so much bonkers stuff to learn.

Info from https://caitlynfinton.com/2022/05/06/meet-the-hammer-headed-bat/

[bobipineman]

this wasp is wrong looking

Wasp katydid, Aganacris velutina, Tettingoniidae

Found in Central and northern South America, this species of katydid expertly  mimics tarantula hawk wasps in the genus Pepsis, but it is, of course, harmless.

Photographed by Frank Deschandol // Instagram

Photos shared with permission; do not remove credit or re-post!

Tarantula hawk wasp, Pepsis mildei, for comparison:

Photo by leptonia