GRASSHOPPERS. 21.1 



Surface grasshoppers, which do a great amount of harm in India, 

 arc here separated from the ordinary grasshoppers and discussed as a 

 distinct class of pest (page 220). 



Grasshoppers. 



Among the most common insects are the grasshoppers, active insects 

 which live in fields and jungles, leaping and flying readily when disturbed. 

 They are recognisable most easily by the very large hind legs, with which 

 they leap. The body is hard, not hairy or covered with scales ; the wings 

 project beyond the end of the abdomen and are often coloured, the antennae 

 are quite short. 



Grasshoppers and locusts together make up one family of insects. 

 It is generally supposed that any large grasshopper is a locust and this 

 word is commonly used without a clear idea of its true meaning* When 

 an insect belonging to the family called grasshoppers becomes exceedingly 

 numerous and forms large swarms, which migrate from place to place, it 

 is called a locust. 



There is no difference in structure between locusts and grasshoppers ; 

 the distinguishing feature of the locust being that, when very abundant, 

 all collect together into swarms and move from place to place. 



There are many large grasshoppers in India which never form into 

 swarms and migrate ; only two true locusts are known in India, and these 

 are almost identical with the large grasshoppers (pages 212-14). 



Grasshoppers occur throughout India in the plains, and in the hills 

 up to the snows. Many species live in the forests, others in grass lands, 

 a few in the crops and cultivated land. The life history of all is not 

 known in detail, but all have similar habits. The female lays eggs in the 

 ground, depositing them in a compact cluster. The young that hatch are 

 very small, active insects which resemble the full grown insects in general 

 appearance. They have no wings when first hatched, which appear only 

 after there have been several moults and the insect is half grown* As in 

 all insects the wings are fully developed with the last moult* It must 

 be remembered that any grasshopper, however small, that has fully- 

 developed wings and can fly, is full grown and can grow no further* 

 The number of moults varies with different species, from five to seven or, 

 exceptionally, eight. 



The wings appear after the third moult as very small lobes on the 

 second and third thoracic segments, growing larger at each moult. The 

 colouring of the young grasshopper is commonly distinct from that of 

 the full grown insect and may change at least twice during nymphal 

 life* This is due to the changed environment of the insects at different 



