A GRASSHOPPER 9 
INSECTA 
AN ORTHOPTEROUS INSECT. A LARGE GRASSHOPPER 
Observe the shape, color, and external anatomy of the animal. 
Note the long, vermiform body and the large head. The body, 
as in all insects, is made up of a number of serially arranged 
segments, called somites or metameres, which fall into two divi- 
sions — the thorax and the abdomen. The head is unsegmented, 
being composed of a number of completely fused somites, and 
bears upon its dorsal and anterior surface a pair of long, jointed 
feelers or antenne, which are important sense-organs, a pair of 
large compound eyes, and three small, dot-like eyes, called ocelli, 
which it may be necessary to look for with a hand lens; on its 
ventral side are the mouth-parts, the organs with which it tastes, 
grasps, and masticates its food. Examine these mouth-parts 
with a hand lens. Observe the long, broad upper lip and pass a 
needle under its ventral edge. Back of the upper lip will be 
seen the strong mandibles, and by pressing these to the right and 
left the two remaining pairs of mouth-parts, the maxille and 
the under lip, will be seen. Note the two pairs of jointed palps 
belonging to them, which are probably organs of taste. These 
parts will all be studied later in detail. 
The thorax is made up of three somites, which are called the 
pro-, meso-, and metathorax. Notice that the thorax is not sepa- 
rated from the abdomen by a constriction, as it is in the wasp, 
but, however, that it may be easily distinguished from the 
abdomen by its greater diameter. The prothorax is movable, 
as in the beetle, and its dorsal and lateral surfaces are covered 
by a large shield. On the ventral side of the prothorax, 
between the prothoracic legs, is, in many grasshoppers, a short 
