4-H CLUB INSECT MANUAL 13 
ORTHOPTERA (GRASSHOPPERS AND OTHERS) 
Grasshoppers.—A. large group of the order Orthoptera is repre- 
sented by the grasshoppers. They vary greatly in size. Most grass- 
hoppers are greenish and yellowish gray in color. Their rather long 
hind legs, thickened at the base, equip them for jumping. The mouth 
parts are of the chewing type, and these insects destroy many kinds 
of field crops, vegetables, and weeds; at times they also eat the leaves 
and bark off trees. Most of the grasshoppers overwinter in the 
eround in the egg stage. These insects 
have changes in form during the life cycle. 
When first hatched, they are very small. 
They shed their skins several times during 
hfe, each time coming out in a larger skin 
and a little more closely resembling the 3 
admit torm which has four wings. (he = °UP™ ~°— Grsshopper 
hind wings are folded fanlike under the rather long, narrow fore- 
wings. Since these insects destroy crops, they most certainly are 
pests. Grasshoppers may be controlled by cultural practices, but 
when they become abundant, it 1s necessary to apply insecticides. 
The scientific name of the grasshopper shown here is J/elanoplus 
femur-rubrum. (The length of this species is approximately 1 inch ) 
Crickets.—Nearly every boy and girl has heard the chirping of the 
cricket although they may never have seen the little insect, about 
five-eighths of an inch long, that does the chirp- 
ing. Crickets vary widely in shape and struc- 
ture. Most of them are black in color. The one 
shown here is the large, black field cricket 
(Acheta assimilis). 'The four wings fold over 
the back but are seldom, if ever, used for flying. 
Like other Orthoptera, the crickets have incom- 
plete life changes and overwinter mainly in the 
egg stage in the ground, or in the nymphal stage 
in protected places. They have chewing mouth 
parts and feed on a wide variety of substances. 
This species sometimes causes damage by eating 
the twine from bundles of grain. 
Katydids.—No doubt many boys and girls 
- in the Northern States have heard the remark 
- “Tt will be only 6 weeks until frost,” because 
some member of the family has heard the fa- 
miliar katydid. The sound of 
this insect is much easier to de- 
tect than the insect itself, because 
its green color makes it difficult to 
see amidst green foliage. Like — 
the grasshopper and the cricket, 
the katydid belongs to the order 
Orthoptera and has incomplete 
life changes. It winters in the 
egg stage. The eggs are often (00 t 
mistaken for some kind of scale Cuan eet did 
insect because of their peculiar 
shinglelike arrangement along the margins of leaves or along twigs. 
The large angular-winged katydid (Microcentrum retinerve) 1s about 
2 inches long. It has chewing mouth parts and feeds mainly on the 
. 
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FIGURE 26.—Cricket. 
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