A green grasshopper. We expand our horizons

Children often have fun, chasing in parks and lawns for small jumping insects. And the parents at this time, after a few minutes of rest, enjoy peace and listen to a chattering chatter. So what is this mysterious creature jumping and chirping in the grass? This is a green grasshopper.

We expand our horizons

We are talking about an insect from the family of True Grasshoppers. This is one of the representatives of the squad, which is widespread throughout the globe.

Orthoptera, bear, cricket and many other known insects, the total number of which reaches almost 20 thousand, also belong to the Orthoptera. The green grasshopper lives in Europe and Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. Recently, it can be found not only on the plains, but also in the mountains. For example, in the Alps this insect feels great at an altitude of more than 1500 m.

What an insect looks like

You can watch grasshoppers from the beginning of July and until the autumn colds come. Thanks to the peculiarities of the body structure and appearance, they are beautifully camouflaged in the grass and in the bushes. A large green grasshopper can have a body length of up to 5-6 cm. The length of its elytra can exceed 8 cm, and the antennal antennae is one and a half times as long as the body.

The head of the insect is large, oval, somewhat oblate from the sides. Color bright green, sometimes with brownish impregnations. The green grasshopper has three pairs of legs. Two shorter front pairs he uses, moving on surfaces. The third, the back pair of legs, is longer and stronger. It is needed by an insect for jumping. And the grasshopper has two pairs of wings. However, in flight only one is involved, and the second pair - external elytra - is a reliable protection.

What does a grasshopper have for lunch?

Remember, as in the song: he ate only grass, did not touch and bug? It turns out that the author of these words was greatly mistaken. Do you know what the green grasshopper feeds on? He will dine with pleasure big and small insects, larvae and aphids. So in fact we are dealing with a predator. But this does not mean that there is no vegetable feed in his diet. Juicy plants, buds and flowers, leaves of bushes and trees - is not a complete list of the vegetable menu of a small jumper.

Watching a big green grasshopper hunting is very interesting, but it's almost impossible for a layman. To begin with, the insect masks very well in the grass. The grasshopper captures the production on the fly. He firmly holds her front paws and quickly kills with strong jaw-jaws. An insect-friendly insect can crack the chitinous defense of any victim.

What is the grasshopper singing about?

The green grasshopper, whose photo can be seen in the article, does not look like a great singer or musician. However, as soon as the heat subsides and evening approaches, real concerts start on the street. The sound of the chirping of the male grasshoppers is due to a special organ located on the right elytra. This is a special membrane-bow that rubs against the denticles on the right wing.

The music of grasshoppers has different themes. Strong short trills serve to intimidate competitors. Males publish them before a fight, in which they often inflict serious damage on the opponent. The outcome of a fight is sometimes fatal, but the most terrible damage can be considered a loss of whiskers. An insane male descends to the lowest step of the social ladder. He is weak, and everyone sees it.

And, of course, the males chatter to attract the attention of females. The louder the love song, the more chances of mating and the appearance of offspring. As soon as the female showed interest in the male, the singing becomes quieter. The second part of the concert begins - fascinating. Performing a romantic serenade, the green grasshopper rises slightly on his hind legs, as if dancing.

Reproduction

The external differences between the male and the female are quite definable. The abdomen of the female ends with a long, like a sword, an appendage. This is the ovipositor necessary for the continuation of the genus.

After mating, the female is busy laying eggs. Most masonry occurs in the soil, but it happens in the bark of trees and on the branches of the bush. In the spring of eggs appear larvae, feeding on plant food. Development before the adult takes about two months, during this time the young insect sheds 5 times.