Grasshopper fact sheet | Field of Mars EEC

What are grasshoppers?

Grasshoppers are jumping insects often seen in grasses, gardens, open bushland and sunny patches of vegetation. They have strong back legs, chewing mouthparts and a hard outer body called an exoskeleton. When disturbed, many grasshoppers leap away and may make a short, buzzing flight before landing again.

At Field of Mars Reserve, grasshoppers may be found among native grasses, low shrubs, leaf litter edges, open tracks and eucalypt forest clearings. They are part of local food webs because they eat plants and are eaten by animals such as birds, lizards, spiders, mantids and wasps.

A grasshopper.

Grasshoppers have strong back legs that help them leap away from predators.

Where do grasshoppers live?

Grasshoppers live in many different habitats. They are often found in open sunny places where grasses, herbs and low plants grow. Some live in gardens and parks, while others live in native grasslands, woodlands, forests, heath and bushland.

At Field of Mars Reserve, grasshoppers can use grassy edges, low shrubs, open tracks, soil, fallen bark and nearby eucalypt forest habitat. Nymphs and adults need plants for food, shelter and camouflage. Some species also need suitable soil where females can lay eggs.

Grasshoppers often rest among grasses, shrubs and low-growing native plants.

Giant green slantface (Acrida conica) in NSW. Its long narrow body helps it blend in with grasses and low plants.

What do grasshoppers eat?

Grasshoppers are mostly herbivores, which means they eat plants. Many feed on grasses, leaves, stems, flowers, seeds and other soft plant parts. Some species prefer grasses, while others feed on broad-leaved plants in gardens and bushland.

By eating plants, grasshoppers move energy from plants into the animal food web. They are then eaten by predators such as birds, reptiles, frogs, spiders, mantids and wasps. When grasshoppers are very numerous, they can damage garden plants, pasture or crops, but in natural habitats they are an important part of the ecosystem.

Grasshoppers use chewing mouthparts to eat grasses, leaves and other plant material.

What is the life cycle of a grasshopper?

Grasshoppers have incomplete metamorphosis. This means they hatch from eggs as nymphs that look like small wingless adults.

Female grasshoppers use an ovipositor at the tip of their abdomen to lay their eggs in a small egg pod in the soil or close to the ground. The eggs hatch into nymphs, sometimes called hoppers. As nymphs grow, they shed their hard outer exoskeleton in a process called moulting. Each time they moult, they become larger and more adult-like. Wing buds grow as the nymphs develop. After the final moult, the grasshopper becomes an adult with fully developed wings.

A Spur-throated Locust (Austracris guttulosa) nymph in Wagga Wagga, NSW. Grasshopper and locust nymphs look like small wingless adults and grow by moulting.

What adaptations do grasshoppers have to help them survive?

Grasshoppers have several adaptations that help them survive. Their large hind legs help them jump quickly away from predators. Their body colour often matches grasses, leaves, bark or soil, making them harder to see. Some species stay still when disturbed, while others leap or fly away suddenly.

Grasshoppers have chewing mouthparts for eating tough plant material. Many have spines on their legs that help them grip stems and leaves. Some grasshoppers can make sounds by rubbing parts of their legs and wings together. These sounds can help them communicate with other grasshoppers.

Large eyes, chewing mouthparts and strong legs help grasshoppers survive among low plants.

What is the difference between grasshoppers, crickets, katydids and locusts?

Grasshoppers, crickets, katydids and locusts are all orthopterans. They share features such as strong back legs and chewing mouthparts, but they are not all the same.

Grasshoppers usually have shorter antennae and are mostly active during the day. Crickets and katydids usually have very long antennae and many are active at night. Locusts are short-horned grasshoppers that can build up in large numbers and form moving nymph bands or flying adult swarms when rainfall, food and population conditions are suitable.

A katydid in Deua National Park, NSW. Katydids are related to grasshoppers, but they usually have much longer antennae.

Why are grasshoppers important?

Grasshoppers are important in food webs. They eat plants and are food for many other animals, including birds, lizards, frogs, spiders, mantids, robber flies and wasps. This makes them an important link between plants and predators.

Grasshoppers also help recycle nutrients. Their droppings and dead bodies return nutrients to the soil, where fungi, bacteria and other decomposers break them down. In healthy bushland, grasshoppers are part of the balance between plants, herbivores, predators and decomposers.

Grasshoppers are part of food webs and are eaten by birds, lizards, spiders and other predators.

How can you help grasshoppers?

You can help grasshoppers by protecting native grasses, shrubs and ground-layer plants. Gardens and school grounds with a mix of local native plants provide food and shelter for many small animals, including grasshoppers.

Avoid unnecessary pesticide use, because pesticides can kill grasshoppers and the predators that feed on them. Leave some leaf litter, fallen bark and quiet ground habitat where possible. Watch grasshoppers carefully instead of catching or harming them, and return any moved animals to the place where they were found.

Protecting native grasses, shrubs and leaf litter helps grasshoppers and other small animals.

Related fact sheets

More invertebrate fact sheets

• Invertebrate fact sheets – overview
• Insects fact sheet – grasshoppers are insects with the same basic insect body plan.
• Cricket fact sheet – crickets are close relatives of grasshoppers and also belong to the order Orthoptera.
• Common garden katydid fact sheet – katydids are another group of orthopteran insects with powerful jumping legs.
• Praying mantid fact sheet– praying mantids are predators that may catch grasshoppers and other insects.
• Jumping spider fact sheet – jumping spiders are active hunters that may catch small insects such as grasshoppers.

Habitats and ecosystems

• Leaf litter habitats fact sheet – leaf litter and ground cover support many invertebrates and predators.

• Tree habitats fact sheet – trees, bark, branches and nearby ground habitats support many insects.

• Eucalypt forest fact sheet– explains the local bushland context for many Field of Mars Reserve animals.

• Field of Mars Reserve fact sheet – explains the local reserve and its habitat diversity.

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