desert bugs - Top That! Publishing

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GIVE IT UP FOR GRASSHOPPERS Grasshoppers belong to the insect family called Orthoptera. The word ‘Orthoptera’ comes from the Greek words ‘orthos’ meaning ‘straight’ and ‘ptera’ meaning ‘wing’. As well as grasshoppers, this family of 20,000 different species includes locusts, crickets, ground hoppers and katydids. How high can a grasshopper jump What do they eat Although grasshoppers, and most other members of the Orthoptera family, have tough, leathery wings, they rarely fly. Instead, they use their powerful hind legs to hop away from danger (hence the name ‘grasshopper’). These insects are natural long jumpers. It’s thought that an average grasshopper can jump at least twenty times its own body length. <strong>That</strong>’s the human equivalent of about 37 m! A grasshopper uses its powerful hind legs to leap from danger. FACT FILE Since Biblical times, locusts and grasshoppers have provided tasty snacks for humans. John the Baptist was said to have lived on locusts and honey, and today these insects, which contain fifty per cent protein, still feature as a standard ingredient in Middle Eastern and Chinese cuisine. Simply remove the wings, the small legs and the head, season and serve! 16 Grasshoppers and locusts are completely vegetarian, chomping on grasses and other plants with their specially adapted chewing mouthparts. Crickets and katydids, on the other hand, are omnivores and so tend to eat anything from plants, fruit and fungi to meat and even each other! There is one type of cricket with extremely powerful jaws known as a wart-biter, and, guess what – it was once used to bite warts off human skin. The wart-biter cricket was once used to bite warts off skin.
All the members of the Orthoptera family have tough leathery wings, but most prefer to jump instead of fly.
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