CHAPTER III 

 A STUDY OF THE GRASSHOPPER 



As grasshoppers, or locusts, are among our most common 

 animals, one of these may be taken as a representative of the 

 great group of invertebrates, or animals without a backbone. 



When collecting specimens for this study both winged and 

 wingless, or apparently wingless, individuals may be found. 

 This depends on the fact that when young grasshoppers issue 

 from the eggs they look much like the adults, but are without 



FIG. 4. Three different stages of a locust, Melanoplus fcmur-rubrum; 

 a, just hatched, without wing-pads; b, a later stage showing wings begin- 

 ning to develop; c, adult, with fully developed wings. 



wings, and the head and hind legs are often abnormally large. 

 As the insects pass through the successive stages of growth, 

 rudimentary wings appear. These increase in size from time 

 to time until the adult condition is reached. 



Division of the Body into Regions. The body is divided 

 into three well-defined regions, the head with its eyes, antenna 

 (feelers) and mouth-parts, the thorax, which bears the two pairs 

 of wings and the three pairs of legs, and the abdomen, which 



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